Beat the Street has announced plans to launch in a number of new towns this spring. Bloxwich launched in February and will be followed by Colchester on 11 March. Hendon and Grangetown; Penzance and St Austell will all launch later this month.  

A community initiative which seeks to turn towns and cities into "giant playgrounds" for children – in order to get them physically active – is set to expand across England.

The finalists for this year's ukactive Awards have been revealed. The 2018 award categories have been divided into three groups – business excellence, specialist impact and individual achievement – and in total winners will be announced in 11 categories. Replacing the Flame Awards, this year's edition will feature an expanded Leisure Centre Operator of the Year award, which covers any club or centre – from independents, studios and boutiques to budget gyms, local authority centres and clubs that are part of a nationwide chain.

Physical activity has been made a clinical priority for GPs, but if fitness – as a subset of activity – wants to benefit, it will need to up its game, says Kate Cracknell

The outdoor exercise pioneer on the FLAME Award-winning Beat the Street

The MD of Green Gym on his organisation’s belief in physical activity for a purpose

A conservation initiative which aims to offer “physical activity with a purpose” is planning to become the UK’s largest physical activity initiative as it gears up for expansion.

Leisure professionals planning to attend this year’s Quest and CIMSPA annual conferences will be able to save themselves a trip, after the bodies announced the meetings would be combined into a two-day event.

Almost 90 per cent of people value outdoor spaces like the coast, lakes and waterways as much as they value leisure centres, pitches and courts for sport.

Physical activity expert Dr William Bird MBE is among the standout names recruited to Slimming World’s specialist advisor panel as the weight management company seeks to combine exercise, nutrition and behaviour change experts to promote healthier lifestyles.

A physical activity loyalty card (PAL), which rewards users with shopping vouchers, has been launched in Northern Ireland with the aim of combating inactivity.

Providing public parks, walking and biking trails is the most cost-effective way of increasing physical activity in urban populations, according to a new systematic review in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Kath Hudson offers an overview of the groups and schemes pitching to help tackle the UK’s obesity crisis

Physical inactivity among young people could cost the UK economy up to £53bn.

Living in an urban area with green spaces has a better impact on mid to long- term mental wellbeing than winning the lottery, a study has suggested.

NICE is now recommending that physical activity be included in the QOF, which financially incentivises GPs for prescribing specific treatments. This is, says Liz Terry, a major breakthrough for the fitness industry