- Physical inactivity is a major public health issue that increases risks of diseases and mortality, while physical activity provides significant health benefits. - Men tend to be less physically active than women and are more difficult to engage in traditional community physical activity programs. Effective programs for men focus on activities like sports, cycling, and walking that can be social and skill-based. - As men age, approaches need to recognize how masculinities and friendships are constructed, often around shared activities, and engage older men in ways that address physical and mental health risks while preserving independence and purpose.

1. Physical activity and men’s health
Professor Alan White
Centre for Men’s Health
Leeds Metropolitan University
a.white@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
a.white@leedsmet.ac.uk
@profalanwhite

2. Britain’s most active pensioner
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11589444/How-Britains-most-active-pensioner-keeps-on-running.html
“Despite being
almost 70 and
having a heart
condition, Philip
Howells is well on
the way to
achieving his
dream of
completing 333
marathons”

3. The 2015 Red Rose 100
http://bit.ly/1eLDhn9

4. The oldest winger
in town: Rugby
player vows to
keep on playing
after scoring try on
his NINETIETH
birthday
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292779/The-oldest-winger-town-Rugby-player-vows-playing-scoring-try-
NINETIETH-birthday.html#ixzz3byr4YHbi

5. Leeds Let’s Get Active
https://betterlivesleeds.wordpress.com/2014/04/17/you-are-an-amazing-example-to-older-people/

7. Any Sport (includes light intensity),
Grouped sessions of any intensity, any duration
by age
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Age 16-25 Age 26-34 Age 35-44 Age 45-54 Age 55-64 Age 65+
Male Female
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Age 16-25 Age 26-34 Age 35-44 Age 45-54 Age 55-64 Age 65+
0 Sessions
1-3 sessions
4-7 sessions
8-11 sessions
12-19 sessions
20+ sessions
Active People Dataset (2011/2012) Based on an analysis of 66,280 men and 90,980 women

8. Gender and participation in physical activity
• Men do more minutes moderate vigorous exercise
than women: Davis, M.G.; et al. (2011)Objectively Measured Physical Activity in a Diverse Sample of Older
Urban UK Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc., 43, 647-654.
• Women do more physical activity than men: Mesters, I et al.
(2014) Socio-demographic, medical and social-cognitive correlates of physical activity behavior among older adults
(45-70 years): a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 14, 647
• It varies between countries: Van Tuyckom, C. et al. (2010) Gender and age
inequalities in regular sports participation: A cross-national study of 25 European countries. Journal of Sports
Sciences, 28(10), 1077-1084.

9. Leeds population (2011) split by age and sex
40000 30000 20000 10000 0 10000 20000 30000 40000
0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85-89
90+
Number of people
Agegroup(years)
Males Females
Leeds Men’s Health study - ongoing

10. Percentage change in male and female population
across Leeds between 2004 and 2013
5.8 5.9
10.2
6.5
4.0
2.7
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
0-15 15-64 65+
Percentagechange
Age group (years)
Males Females
Leeds Men’s Health study - ongoing

11. Benefits of physical activity and reduced
sedentary behaviour
Strong evidence of reduced rates of:
• All-cause mortality
• Coronary heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Metabolic syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes
• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Depression
• Falling
Strong evidence of:
• Increased cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness
• Healthier body mass and composition
• Improved bone health
• Increased functional health
• Improved cognitive function
Lee IM et al.(2012). Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis
of burden of disease and life expectancy. Lancet, 380(9838), 219–29.

12. The hidden male population
• Men with poor mental health and wellbeing
• Growing number of socially isolated older
men with unaddressed health and social
needs that are outside the radar of current
service provision
• The majority of men who are sedentary and
inactive

13. Social isolation, loneliness and all-cause
mortality in older men and women
• Both social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased
mortality.
• Mortality associated with loneliness was linked to baseline
physical and mental health
• Social isolation is independently associated with mortality
– habitual health-risk behaviors such as smoking, inactivity, and unhealthy
diets and health-protective behaviors such as adherence to medical
recommendations
– Delay in responding to acute symptoms
Steptoe A et al. (2013). Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(15), 5797–801.

14. “But once parted from spouses and jobs, and
especially as infirmities intrude, old men succumb
more quickly than women to a host of physical and
social threats, in an unintended consequence of
having according responsibility for care work and
social networking to the women in their lives”
King, N., & Calasanti, T. (2013). Men’s aging amidst intersecting relations of inequality. Sociology
Compass, 7(9), 699–710. (P706)

15. Trends in suicide death rates, by age
and sex, England & Wales, 2007 - 2013
ONS Mortality statistics, Deaths registered reports (2008-2014). Available for http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/datasets-and-tables/index.html. Last
accessed October 2014.

16. The Journal of Men’s Studies, Vol. 12, No. 3, Spring 2004, 207-226

18. “Men are at increased risk of preventable heavy impact diseases that leave
them more vulnerable to premature death and chronic ill-health [1,2]. Many
of the difficulties men face are a consequence of living a life that has both low
levels of physical activity and high levels of sedentary behaviour [3–5]. Tackling
the epidemic of stasis in men is one of the most important public health
priorities, with increasing good practice now becoming available to act as a
catalyst for future action.”

22. • Physical activity – body movement that
expends energy and raises the heart rate
• Inactivity – less than 30 minutes physical
activity a week
• Sedentary – time spent in low-energy postures
e.g. sitting or lying

23. • Everyday activity – cycling, walking etc.
• Active recreation – dance, recreational
walking etc.
• Sport – swimming etc.

24. Engagement with community
programmes
Women are more likely than men to take
advantage of non-gender-sensitive community
physical activity interventions and by
attendance they typically outnumber men 2:1
Pringle A et al. (2010) Cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve moderate physical activity: A study in nine UK
sites. Health Educ J 69:211–24

25. Participation in ‘Fit as a Fiddle’

26. Age UK - ‘Fit as a Fiddle’ / ‘Fit for the Future’
The evaluation noted that men were difficult to reach
and engage, with less inclination to join in usual events
liked by women, such as Pilates, Tai Chi or chair-based
exercises.
Men preferred activities such as football, cycling, Wii
games, Nordic Walking and Health Walks, and once
they were established, men became very committed.
Smith N. (2013) Fit as a fiddle: Final evaluation report. Keele University

27. Getting older
“Forthright in their frustration over their loss of
autonomy and physicality but resigned and stoic, the
men’s stories reflected masculine norms of control,
invulnerability, physical prowess, self-reliance and
toughness. The women were dismayed by their
bodies’ altered appearances and concerned about
how their illnesses might affect their significant
others, thereby responding to feminine norms of
selflessness, sensitivity to others and nurturance.”
Clarke, L. H., & Bennett, E. (2012). “You learn to live with all the things that are wrong with you”: gender and
the experience of multiple chronic conditions in later life. Ageing and Society, 33(02), 342–360.

28. Later life masculinities
‘The self of the past is the underpinning of the
self of the present’
‘Some older men seek fewer social contacts, as
they are more satisfied by a closeness involving
covert intimacy that companionship and side-
by-side activity provides’
Thompson, E., & Whearty, P. (2004). Older Men’s Social Participation: The Importance of Masculinity Ideology. The
Journal of Men’s Studies, 13(1), 5–24.

29. Older men and friendships
• Men’s friendships tend to be focused around
doing something
– Often instrumental and activity based
• Talking to like-minded men valued for the
emotional support it offered.
Shaw R et al. (2014). “I Think It’s a Communal Thing”: Men’s Friendships in Later Life. The Journal of
Men’s Studies, 22(1), 34–52.

30. Ageing men and leisure
“…as men age, they are learning to be with their
bodies in new somatic ways, and as such, their
identities are constructed by the social
meanings given to embodied experiences. …a
significant site for this learning and being was in
leisure.”
Wiersma, E., & Chesser, S. (2011). Masculinity, ageing bodies, and leisure. Annals of Leisure Research, 14(2-3), 242–259

31. Older men?
• Social determinants:
– Socio-economic status,
– Marital status
– Housing / environment
• Intersectionality
– Ethnicity
– Age (young old, old, very old …)
– Sexuality
• Personal preferences
• Ill-health / multiple morbidities

32. Adapted ecological model of the
determinants of physical activity
Bauman AE, Reis RS, Sallis JF, et al. Correlates of physical activity: why are some people physically active and
others not? Lancet 2012;380:258–71.
Gender

33. Getting older men active
• Build on shoulder-to-shoulder activities i.e.
walks, gardening, The Men’s Shed
• Use settings where men are comfortable –
sports grounds, workplaces
• Skill up volunteers and workers to understand
older men’s needs
• Link men into volunteering opportunities
• Make men feel useful – mentoring the young,
creating, restoration, supporting.

34. Men’s National Cascade project
Male focused innovative community based
approaches into physical activity and wellbeing.
The project worked with Premier League and
Championship football clubs; rugby and cricket
clubs; older gay men’s groups; local Age UKs;
independent men's groups; various local
authorities, the NHS; and Preston Prison service
to reach men.

38. Asset based approaches
• Expertise within the communities
• Willing volunteers
• Peer support
• Imagination of our older men
• An expanding older population can be a
benefit to society – developing new roles and
getting active at the same time
South, J (2015) A guide to community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing PHE, London

39. Summary
• Inactivity has marked physical and emotional
consequences
• Physical activity has multiple forms and is as
much about being less sedentary as running a
marathon
• Physical activity is gendered and provision
must reflect the scope of men’s needs
• Policy must start to recognise that ‘gender’
includes men