Evidence Hub

Collective Physical Activity: Tackling physical activity inequalities through political empowerment

A PhD project funded by NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria.

Quick-read summary

This research explores how physical activity can be used not only to improve health and well-being, but also to empower communities and challenge the root causes of inequality.

It focuses on young adults aged 16–25 in the North East of England, a region with high levels of deprivation and physical inactivity. Participants came from diverse backgrounds, including several living in low-income areas, working in precarious jobs or facing barriers related to their life circumstances.

The study introduces a new approach called Collective Physical Activity (Co-PA), which combines physical activity with critical discussions about society, inequalities and alternative futures. Through interviews, workshops and co-designed actions, participants reflected on barriers to being active and imagined new ways to organise communities.

Participants highlighted material barriers to physical activity such as lack of time, money and facilities. Many felt disempowered and struggled to imagine alternatives to the current status quo. However, through group discussions, they began to visualise solutions and found empowerment in simple, accessible activities like walking.

The project shows that merging physical activity with political and social reflections can help people feel more hopeful and capable of creating change. It suggests that sport and physical activity initiatives can benefit from engaging more directly with social justice and system change, in order to create empowerment in the here and now.

What is the issue?

Physical inactivity is a major public health concern, especially in areas of socio-economic deprivation. While many interventions aim to address this, they often focus on individual behaviour and fail to tackle the structural causes of inequality. These root causes – such as poverty, precarious work, and underinvestment – are deeply embedded. As a result, inequalities in physical activity and health continue to rise. This research argues for a more radical, systemic approach that addresses these underlying issues and empowers communities to imagine and build alternatives.

Research summary

This research was conducted with young adults in the North East of England, using a participatory and politically engaged approach.

It began with interviews to understand participants’ views on physical activity, community and society. These were followed by a series of workshops, where participants discussed social issues, imagined alternative futures and reflected on the role of physical activity in their lives and communities.

The process culminated in the co-design of physical activity actions, which centred around walking as an accessible and empowering form of movement.

The research introduced the Co-PA approach, which combines physical activity with collective reflection and a post-capitalist outlook.

What did the research find?

• Participants expressed facing significant barriers to physical activity, including work demands, lack of free time, financial constraints and poor local facilities.
• Many initially did not consider walking as a valid form of physical activity, despite enjoying it.
• Workshops helped shift participants’ views from individual responsibility to a systemic understanding of physical activity inequalities and barriers.
• Participants found empowerment in walking, valuing it for its accessibility, social nature and connection to nature.
• Co-designed actions focused on walking and partially running, addressing material constraints that make other activities more difficult to sustain as well as the participants’ desire for inclusive, meaningful physical activities.
• Discussions about alternative futures inspired hope and translated into direct actions in the form of small-group physical activities.

Why is this important?

This research demonstrates that physical activity can be a powerful tool for social change when combined with critical reflection and collective action.

It highlights the need to move beyond individualised approaches and address the structural causes of inequality.

The Co-PA approach offers a new way to design inclusive, empowering, and politically engaged physical activity initiatives that support both personal well-being and broader social transformation.

How were people involved in this work?

Young adults from communities in the North East of England were involved throughout the research. They participated in interviews, workshops and co-designed actions, and their lived experiences and insights significantly shaped the direction of the project.

Youth workers and two community centres/organisations supported recruitment and engagement, and their perspectives were also included in the analysis.

Recommendations for policy and practice

• Support bottom-up, community-led physical activity initiatives that reflect local needs and values.
• Consider strengthening the contribution of walking and informal activities as valid and valuable forms of physical activity.
• Integrate physical activity with broader efforts to address inequality, climate justice and community empowerment.
• Provide accessible, inclusive spaces and resources for physical activity, especially in deprived areas.
• Use critical pedagogy to foster civic engagement and empower participants to imagine and create change.

What happens next?

The Co-PA approach can be adapted and tested in other contexts, and there is potential to develop toolkits or training for practitioners. Future research could explore how physical activity can support wider movements for social justice. The findings of this project will be part of a book chapter published by Routledge later in 2025.

Who is this evidence useful for?

• Community organisations and youth centres
• Health and physical activity practitioners that focus on physical activity inequalities
• Policy makers in health, physical activity and sport
• Researchers in public health, sport and physical activity that focus on social justice
• Activists and grassroots groups working on inequalities and social justice.

This work has been led by Gianmarco Dellacasa, as part of a PhD studentship completed at Durham University, funded by the NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria.

If you would like to find out more, please email [email protected]