{"id":3598,"date":"2025-09-29T10:04:55","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T09:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/?p=3598"},"modified":"2026-03-11T08:50:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T08:50:06","slug":"putting-wales-on-the-physical-activity-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/09\/29\/putting-wales-on-the-physical-activity-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting Wales on the physical activity map"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>NISH member, the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.wipahs.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Welsh Institute of Physical Activity, Health and Sport (WIPAHS)<\/a> has developed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/new.globalphysicalactivityobservatory.com\/card-2\/?country=WL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wales\u2019 2025 GoPA! Country Card<\/a> &#8211; a key snapshot of the nation\u2019s movement trends, revealing an increase in physical activity among adults.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unveiled at the HEPA Europe 2025 Conference, the third edition of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/new.globalphysicalactivityobservatory.com\/countrycards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GoPA! Country Cards<\/a>&nbsp;tracks national efforts in research, surveillance, and policy across 186 countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wales\u2019 card&nbsp;has been created by a team headed by Professors&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.swansea.ac.uk\/staff\/k.mackintosh\/\">Kelly Mackintosh<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.swansea.ac.uk\/staff\/m.mcnarry\/\">Melitta McNarry<\/a>, co-directors of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.swansea.ac.uk\/sport-exercise-sciences\/astem\/wipahs\/\">WIPAHS<\/a>, in collaboration with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/phw.nhs.wales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Health Wales<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compared to 2020, which reported a 53% rate of physical activity among adults in Wales, the 2025 card shows a slight but notable increase to 55%. However, it also reflects a shift in Wales\u2019 physical activity policy rating\u2014from \u201chigh\u201d to \u201cmedium\u201d\u2014highlighting the need for renewed strategic focus to support continued progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wipahs.co.uk\/dr-amie-richards\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Dr Amie Richards<\/strong><\/a><strong>, a research officer at WIPAHS and a key contributor to the card, said:<\/strong>&nbsp;\u201cContributing to the Country Cards has allowed us to compile and share essential data that supports evidence-based decision-making and raises awareness of physical activity trends and gaps in Wales. These insights are vital for engaging stakeholders across academia, government, and public health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>John Bradley, from Public Health Wales and also part of the team, added:&nbsp;<\/strong>\u201cThe completion of the GoPA Country Card for Wales once again contributes to the ongoing intelligence-led approach to physical activity policy and planning across Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWIPAHS have led the 2025 development of the Country Card in an efficient and robust manner and, alongside Public Health Wales, will continue to promote and disseminate the resource to ensure its impact across the system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This latest edition introduces new indicators, including gender inequalities in participation and research, as well as data broken down by domains such as the number of adults taking part in active leisure (52%) and transport (39%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All cards are available in English and have been translated into 66 additional languages &#8211; <a href=\"chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/new.globalphysicalactivityobservatory.com\/Brand%20New%20Country%20Cards\/Translations\/Welsh\/Wales%20trad.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">including Welsh<\/a> &#8211; doubling the number from the 2020 edition and supporting global accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/new.globalphysicalactivityobservatory.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GoPA! has also launched a redesigned website<\/a>&nbsp;featuring an interactive dashboard and searchable policy directory, making it easier than ever to explore and apply the data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr Michael Pratt, GoPA! Co-Chair, said:<\/strong>&nbsp;\u201cGoPA! has that data for almost every country in the world, and the quality and breadth of the data continue to improve. Now is the time to put the data to work to reduce physical inactivity worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Physical inactivity remains one of the leading risk factors for chronic disease. Globally, 1 in 3 adults are inactive, with regional averages ranging from 5% in Africa to nearly 10% in Europe and the Americas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Country Cards are more than statistics &#8211; they are living profiles that highlight progress, gaps, and opportunities to build healthier, more active societies. They reflect a global commitment to equity, inclusion, and sustainable public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr Pedro Hallal, GoPA! Co-Chair, said:&nbsp;<\/strong>\u201cEveryone conducting high-quality research in the field of physical activity and health recognises GoPA! The next step is to encourage governments worldwide to hold themselves accountable for promoting more active communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The launch also marks the debut of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalphysicaleducationobservatory.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GoPE!<\/a>, a new sibling initiative focused on school-based physical activity systems, which has released its own set of Country Cards alongside GoPA!\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-ee856660 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-align-center wp-element-button\"><strong>Explore the full set of Country Cards and digital tools<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NISH member, the\u00a0Welsh Institute of Physical Activity, Health and Sport (WIPAHS) has developed\u00a0Wales\u2019 2025 GoPA! Country Card &#8211; a key snapshot of the nation\u2019s movement trends, revealing an increase in physical activity among adults. Unveiled at the HEPA Europe 2025 Conference, the third edition of&nbsp;GoPA! Country Cards&nbsp;tracks national efforts in research, surveillance, and policy across [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":190346150,"featured_media":3600,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1366],"tags":[1375],"class_list":["post-3598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-health"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Wordpress-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pfwlnl-W2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":630,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/02\/09\/experts-continue-working-to-help-shape-a-healthier-way-of-life-across-wales\/","url_meta":{"origin":3598,"position":0},"title":"Experts Continue Working to Help Shape a Healthier Way of Life Across Wales","author":"meganchick1","date":"9th February 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The importance of physical activity for all ages has been highlighted by researchers at Swansea University. As part of\u00a0Welsh Institute of Physical Activity, Health and Sport (WIPAHS),\u00a0researchers at Swansea University have been using their expertise to examine a wide range of issues and their findings are now set to shape\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WIPAHS-playground-pic-2.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WIPAHS-playground-pic-2.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WIPAHS-playground-pic-2.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WIPAHS-playground-pic-2.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WIPAHS-playground-pic-2.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2774,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/04\/08\/collaboration-the-power-of-working-together-for-lasting-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":3598,"position":1},"title":"Collaboration: The Power of Working Together for Lasting Change","author":"meganchick1","date":"8th April 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It is widely recognised that increased physical activity enhances mental wellbeing, reduces the risk of chronic conditions, boosts productivity, and alleviates pressures on health services. Yet, there are factors limiting access to regular, meaningful movement for large sections of the population. Here, West Wales Sports Partnership (WWSP)'s CEO Jamie Rewbridge\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Wordpress.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3684,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/10\/15\/myrounders-making-sport-social-simple-and-inclusive\/","url_meta":{"origin":3598,"position":2},"title":"MyRounders: Making Sport Social, Simple and Inclusive","author":"meganchick1","date":"15th October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"MyRounders is a social rounders league designed for people aged 16+ across Wales. They run mixed and women\u2019s leagues in Swansea and beyond, welcoming participants of all backgrounds, abilities and fitness levels. They strongly focus on enjoyment, connection and being active in a friendly, supportive environment. The idea for MyRounders\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Blog&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wordpress-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wordpress-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wordpress-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wordpress-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Wordpress-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":547,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2024\/04\/11\/swim-wales-announces-landmark-partnership-with-swansea-university\/","url_meta":{"origin":3598,"position":3},"title":"Swim Wales announces landmark partnership with Swansea University","author":"meganchick1","date":"11th April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"This new multi-year collaboration marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Swim Wales and Swansea University, and reinforces their shared commitment to nurturing talent, driving innovation, and promoting aquatics at all levels. Together, Swim Wales and Swansea University are committed to creating programmes and pathways across the aquatic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Swim-Wales.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Swim-Wales.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Swim-Wales.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Swim-Wales.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Swim-Wales.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":518,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2023\/11\/21\/swansea-university-to-develop-world-first-research-and-innovation-living-lab\/","url_meta":{"origin":3598,"position":4},"title":"SWANSEA UNIVERSITY TO DEVELOP WORLD-FIRST RESEARCH AND INNOVATION \u201cLIVING LAB\u201d","author":"meganchick1","date":"21st November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Swansea University is set to develop a world-first research and innovation environment that harnesses 5G infrastructure to improve population health and wellbeing, with the award of a \u00a32.58M project that will create a \u201cliving laboratory\u201d in the Swansea Bay City Region. This \u201cliving lab\u201d, will support innovation of original device\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Hilary-Clinton-Vodafone.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Hilary-Clinton-Vodafone.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Hilary-Clinton-Vodafone.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Hilary-Clinton-Vodafone.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Hilary-Clinton-Vodafone.webp?fit=1200%2C567&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3186,"url":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/2025\/06\/24\/real-world-science-real-world-impact-sport-exercise-science-at-swansea-uni\/","url_meta":{"origin":3598,"position":5},"title":"Real-World Science, Real-World Impact: Sport &amp; Exercise Science at Swansea Uni","author":"meganchick1","date":"24th June 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Swansea University's Sport and Exercise Science department offers a range of undergraduate and post-graduate courses that blend cutting-edge science with real-world application. If you're passionate about sport, performance, and health, Swansea University\u2019s Sport and Exercise Science programmes offer a world-class foundation using cutting-edge science with real-world application. Ranked 9th in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-2-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-2-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-2-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-2-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nish.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Wordpress-2-1.png?fit=1200%2C628&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/190346150"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3598"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3601,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3598\/revisions\/3601"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3600"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nish.wales\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}