Can the nation’s love of cricket inspire us to be more active this summer

As the world gears up for the Olympic Games, the UK has spoken, choosing cricket as the sport they’d most like to see introduced at the Games. New research from Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of specialist housing and care for people in later life, reveals that in addition to being ‘bowled over’ by our love of cricket, the nation is keen to see netball, squash, mixed martial arts, darts and golf added to the esteemed Olympics lineup.

Harnessing our nation’s love of sport in a summer that’s also seen Wimbledon and England reach the final of the Euros, Anchor is proving that being active isn’t just for professional athletes at the top of their game. Highlighting the benefits of movement for all ages, Anchor is hosting its very own Anchor Games for residents and colleagues at its locations across the country, and is encouraging the nation to get involved.

This year’s Olympic Games in Paris will see two new sports join the lineup, and the nation’s calls will be answered in 2028, with cricket and squash making their debut at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. However, with over half (53%) of people saying sporting events and activities should be more age-inclusive and 41% of older people saying that initiatives around sports and exercise are not aimed towards them, we need to do more to ensure every generation has the opportunity to embrace physical activity.

For the duration of the Anchor Games’ residents and colleagues across Anchor’s housing and care home locations are enjoying activities including cricket, football, darts, badminton, netball and track and field events such as walking relay, proving that movement is for everyone.

With the research revealing only 18% of the public achieve their recommended amount of physical activity in a week as defined by the NHS*, Anchor is calling on the nation to get moving, host their own sporting events with loved ones, and share what they get up to on social media using #AnchorGames.

The time to act is now – encouragingly, nearly two fifths (38%) of the public say they feel inspired by the Olympic Games to be more active and 30% say it makes them feel they could achieve a new sporting goal. In fact, 27% say that the Olympic Games has already inspired them to try a new sport or exercise.

Rob Martin, Managing Director of Care Services at Anchor, says:

We see the physical and mental health benefits that come with staying active every day. That’s why we’re so passionate about supporting our residents to enjoy movement in later life and are always championing their physical wellbeing through initiatives like our Zest Wellbeing and Be Active programmes. These inclusive programmes demonstrate how we can all make small changes to ensure this becomes part of our everyday lives and existing routines. This summer, we know many will be feeling inspired by sporting events including the Olympics, Wimbledon and the Euros, so this is a great time to encourage people of all ages and abilities to embrace physical activity.

Anna Dabrowska, Home Manager from Anchor’s St Mary’s care home in Holbrook, Ipswich, says: 

We are always championing inclusive exercise and helping our residents find ways to stay active. This summer we’re having so much fun getting inspired by the Olympic Games and trying out new activities with our residents. We’ll all be cheering on Team GB when the time comes and enjoying our own version of the tournament too!

Jean Martin, 91, lives at Anchor’s St. Mary’s care Home in Holbrook, Ipswich. She says:

I’m taking part in this year’s Anchor Games because I like competition and the feeling of adrenaline you get when you’re trying to win. It’s a great laugh and you feel much better after being active with friends. I love to try different sports. I’ll be doing bowls and I’m also going to give netball a go. It’s easy to think you can’t get involved or that an activity isn’t for you, but I believe we can all really enjoy trying something new. I also can’t wait to watch the Olympic Games, and we’ll be keeping the television on to catch all the varied sports!

To find out more about Anchor’s Zest programme visit here and to find out more about Be Active, visit here.

*According to the NHS website, adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.