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Who plays sport? Sport England’s data for 2012/13, compared to 2005/6, shows: more men and women are taking partincreased numbers of disabled people are taking partstatistically significant increases in six out of the nine English regionsincreases among both black and minority ethnic and white British adultsmore people from every socio-demographic group taking part.

Who plays sport?

Key factors Gender, age and socio-economic group have a big influence on sports take-up. More men play sport than women. Currently 40.9% of men play sport at least once a week, compared to 30.8% of women. 53.7% of 16-to-25-year-olds (56.4% of 14-25 year olds) take part in at least one sport session a week, compared to 32.3% of older adults. Take-up is highest among managerial/professional workers and intermediate social groups. Ethnicity and disability The number of both black and minority ethnic and white British adults playing sport is increasing. Download the latest factsheets to see the data. Benefits of exercise - Live Well. Step right up!

Benefits of exercise - Live Well

It's the miracle cure we've all been waiting for. It can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%. It’s free, easy to take, has an immediate effect and you don’t need a GP to get some. Its name? Exercise. Click on the links below to find out if you're doing enough for your age: Exercise is the miracle cure we’ve always had, but for too long we’ve neglected to take our recommended dose. This is no snake oil. People who do regular activity have a lower risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers. Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Health benefits Given the overwhelming evidence, it seems obvious that we should all be physically active. What counts? A modern problem. London Friday Night Skate & Sunday StrollLondon Friday Night Skate & Sunday Stroll.

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Fashion meets function: cycling chamois underwear for women by Urbanist. Whatever kind of bits you have, protecting them becomes increasingly important on longer rides.

Fashion meets function: cycling chamois underwear for women by Urbanist

But not everyone can or wants to wear bib shorts, even when clocking up 15+ miles on a commute. Fear not, because fashion has met function with this new underwear range from Austin’s Urbanist which you can wear “under any pants, shorts, skirts, denim cutoffs, or even non-cycling specific work out clothes you already own.” Currently being crowd-funded on Kickstarter, Urbanist are almost halfway to meeting their $25,000 target as I write this. There are 2 vintage-inspired styles available: The Brigitte (with a 50s style rise in the back) and The Bettie (with a thinner, triathlon style pad designed for shorter and lower impact rides).

Oh and by the way, guys needn’t feel out as they also have mens t-shirts on offer to backers of their campaign. Women’s Cycling Clothing. The Performance Bicycle Blog. Today we continue with our Real Advice series – hard-earned practical knowledge from real riders here at our home office.

The Performance Bicycle Blog

This week we asked Aaron, one of our copywriters and a regular commuter (the guy rides over 20 miles each way), to share some of his thoughts about commuting by bike. Tell us your story below & you could win a $24 Performance gift card – details at the bottom of the post! Aaron at his locker at our home office with his Osprey Momentum 24 commuter bag This morning, like every morning, I crept around the house smiling in at sleeping kids and trying not to get the dogs all worked up.

I skip the top step because it creaks really badly. I open the garage door and there’s my ride—like every day I fall in love all over again. I spin out across the lake whose fingers span for miles between my home and my office and contemplate the steely reflection of haze on the water. View from Aaron’s commute This is why I commute. To be sure, my reasons aren’t the only reasons to commute.