Through recently researched and scientifically acquired data it has become more and more apparent just how effective sport can be in curing a multitude of problems our country faces at this time. The most evident problem we have at the moment is the Covid impacts and healthcare concerns but also the more deep-rooted issue of inequality (both racial and social). Sport can have a profound impact on all these which is why enriching sport programmes and further endorsing physical activity presents itself as the clear way for us to progress as a country.
The Corona virus has had abundant negative impacts including deaths, the NHS coming under further strain, deterioration in mental health and loss of government money. However, the good news is that the majority of these challenges our society is met with are directly linked to benefits of sport and becoming more active. As a fitting counter to the problem of the NHS coming under strain research has shown that people who were more inactive and suffered from conditions such as obesity, diabetes type two and coronary heart disease faced much higher mortality rates than their healthier counterparts, especially after contracting Covid. Sport has been proven to act as a dual impact and not only treat or reduce the severity of these illnesses but prevent them in the first place. Therefore, to increase the sport participation on a nationwide scale would be to decrease the amount of people rendered in critical condition from Covid and other illnesses and in turn not only alleviate some of the strain currently placed on the NHS but slow the increasing death count in the UK. It has also been recognised that general mental health has deteriorated in the lockdowns and there have been studies which show that mental illnesses such as clinical depression and dementia have their risk decreased by 30% as a result of exercise, making sport one of the only treatments that address both mental and physical health at the same time. Finally, on this point, recent studies enabled Sport England to declare that for every £1 invested into physical activity gives £4 returns in savings which is critical for the country at a time with budgets and spending under pressure with a greater need more than ever for returns or investments of public money for all those facing losses from the pandemic.
Sport is something that can be enjoyed and participated in regardless of race, gender or social status and therefore is because it values not people for who they are and what they have come from but where they are now and how well they can perform; the only thing that separates one athlete from another is their physical ability. Team values are promoted across most sport and these transcend race, wealth or status and look to work together to push themselves to be the best they can. Furthermore, it is indiscriminatory in how most disciplines are judged completely objectively- who can run the fastest etc. which allows people to be judged on how they perform as a person not how they come across. Moreover, when we look at the impact of major sporting events on cities, we can see a major acceleration in the goals of the city, whether this be an increase in sport participation or an increase in the tourism sector because of the amount of investment and focus that goes into the city hosting the event.
To conclude, some of the most prominent issues in our society can be made much less significant by further pushing sport through programmes, investments and endorsements to help make our country stronger and more united.
By Alice Mazon
