Fat chance of a healthy city when keeping fit is so costly

The closure of two of Stoke-on-Trent's top fitness centres this week reflects the hard times everyone is going through at the moment.

As a former member of one of them, I know how much membership of a gym can inspire you to improve your fitness, even if it's just because you feel you have to use the facilities to justify the high cost. These excellent gyms are certainly not cheap, especially on Stoke wages.

All doctors recommend regular exercise three or four times a week. It not only makes you fitter, it improves all aspects of your life.

All our budgets are feeling the strain, unless you are a banker, cabinet minister, Premier League footballer or Simon Cowell. What is seen as a luxury takes a back seat to the essentials of modern living.

For many people, satellite television, decent broadband access and a Blackberry are no longer luxuries. They genuinely feel their life requires the latest technology and the expense of keeping fit comes second, if that.

And this is particularly crucial for Stoke-on-Trent.

NHS figures show we are one of the least healthy cities in Britain. Our people die earlier and have more preventable illnesses – and we have one of the lowest rates of physical fitness.

Just as importantly, there is a direct link between the availability of leisure and sporting facilities and teenage crime. Where Stoke's youngsters have had easy access to sporting activities, crime rates have fallen.

And yet, what were the most high-profile victims of recent budget cuts? The city's sport and leisure facilities.

Let me take you back less than two years. In October 2009, a specially commissioned report, sponsored by the council and Sport England, put forward what they called a 'clear vision' for Stoke-on-Trent as a 'City of Sport'.

There was some wishful thinking. The idea that the city would become a 'visitor destination' during the 2012 Olympics is difficult to take seriously, but the report had its heart in the right place.

Their 'sport and physical activity strategy' was aimed at encouraging the entire population of the city to become more physically active and enjoy the associated benefits.

Crucially, the report found that the cost of taking part was the most important barrier to participation. It concluded that making services easily available and affordable was the highest priority.

And to quote the report, 'swimming pools are considered the highest priority for investment'. The authors recommended that Shelton Pool be redeveloped to provide better disabled facilities and include a sports hall and fitness suite. Although the closure of Tunstall Pool was suggested, it was to be replaced with a new 25m pool at Dimensions.

The strategy was formally adopted by the council in December 2009, but only just and only after a heated debate. Current leader Mohammed Pervez criticised the report for raising 'false hope'. So, some never took the strategy seriously.

Pervez's rise to the leadership effectively consigned the report's recommendations to the dustbin of local history.

I suppose the council would cite a worldwide economic disaster and cuts in central funding as the reasons for cutting our sporting facilities. The reality is that they were easy targets.

The council supposedly has a commitment to create a 'Healthier City'; but with one of the lowest rates of physical activity in Britain, Stoke has a long road to travel.

We have to make affordable and accessible exercise a key priority for our citizens. The alternative is a sick city for generations to come.

Source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/32715/f/503368/s/15a5c9d4/l/0L0Sthisisstaffordshire0O0Cnews0CFat0Echance0Ehealthy0Ecity0Ekeeping0Efit0Ecostly0Carticle0E3626150A0Edetail0Carticle0Bhtml/story01.htm

Christmas and New Year Buenos Aires Radio Wales Moscow Energy