The Importance of physical activity and accessibility

Why being active is important and why accessibility is even more important

It is widely known that happiness and well-regulated mental health is closely linked to being active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Not only when you exercise is a happiness hormone released in your brain, it also promotes community and connection with others which is paramount for mental wellness.

In a study conducted by The Mental Health Foundation, it was revealed that those participating in daily physical activity were 20-30% less likely to experience mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. It also revealed that those with mental disorders that participated in daily physical activity had a faster recovery and a better quality of life than those that didn’t.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic it has become more and more difficult to stay active, which as we know, has had a huge impact on everybody’s mental health however, the pandemic has disproportionately affected those with a disability.

Here are some of the findings from Activity Alliances annual Disability and Activity Survey 2020-21

· Twice as many disabled people felt that coronavirus greatly reduced their ability to do sport or physical activity compared to non-disabled people

· Respondents said the lack of activity has led to both their physical and mental health being harder to manage. Feelings of loneliness and social isolation were frequently voiced.

. A fear of contracting the virus (35% vs 13%), the impact on their health (31% vs 13%), a lack of space (23% vs 18%) and support to be able to exercise safely at home (16% vs 5%), have become significant barriers for disabled people, compared to non-disabled people.


Activity Alliances survey findings illustrate the physical activity disparities between those with a disability and those without, it is for these findings above why Superhero Series has run the only mass participation sporting event for people with disabilities in the UK, and why we are so passionate about accessibility to sport and exercise.

During the pandemic we were determined to keep pushing, we ran 4 virtual events which were 100% accessible and were blown away by the resilience of our Superheroes. Although the events were a huge success we are so thrilled to announce our LIVE EVENTS ARE BACK!

We can finally get back to seeing our Superheroes complete their missions in the flesh, and for those that aren’t able to make it out to us we will be running a virtual event alongside our live events from now on, so no Superhero is left without a mission.

If you believe in what we stand for, want to support people in getting active and building community and are interested in becoming a Super Partner, Corporate Friend or Charity Friend please email us at hello@superheroseries.co.uk for more details.

If you are interested in taking part, please visit here to find out more.