Unpaid carers encouraged to get active for Carers Active April

Today the national charity Carers UK launches Carers Active April 2023, a campaign taking place throughout April to encourage unpaid carers supporting loved ones who are older, disabled or seriously ill to get involved in some physical activity.

The month-long campaign aims to raise awareness of the benefits of exercise for carers and encourage them to become more active.

Carers UK research shows that three quarters (73%) of carers find that being physically active makes them feel good about themselves, while two thirds (67%) said doing a range of physical activities helped them to feel more connected to other people.

Over half (58%) of carers said being active helped them to learn more about the importance of looking after their health, but nearly three quarters (75%) of carers don’t feel able to access local sport and leisure facilities.

Carers Active April will see a variety of local and online activities take place, such as walking or running, swimming or dancing, yoga or gardening and will culminate in the ‘Healthathon’ on Saturday 29th April, an online event with events and sessions throughout the day, as well as special guests.

Carers and groups supporting carers are encouraged to take part in the ‘Move into Spring’ distance challenge, an opportunity to fulfil specific exercise targets and feel the benefits. This could be collectively walking the equivalent of the coastline of Britain or attending a set number of Carers Active April exercise sessions. The Move into Spring distance challenge aims to help carers kickstart a personal move to being more active.

Emily Holzhausen OBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK, said:

“We know that carers often put their own health and wellbeing behind the needs of the people they care for, and that it can be difficult for them to find the time and energy to take part in physical activity alongside a caring role.

“Through our Carers Active April campaign, we hope to encourage carers to take the opportunity to connect with others and take steps to look after their physical and mental health. We know being active improves carers’ health, wellbeing and feelings of connectedness to others.

“If you’re a carer, why not get involved in one of the activities taking place during the month and find out more on the Carers Active April page of the Carers UK website.”

This is the second annual Carers Active April since the project was launched in 2022 and is supported by Sport England.

Hannah McDonald, National Partnerships Manager at Sport England, said:

“Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy aims to make sure that everyone – regardless of their background, bank balance, gender or where they live – has the opportunity to get active.

“Carers so often put the needs and wellbeing of others before themselves. Supported by Sport England, with the help of National Lottery funding, the Carers Active April campaign is an important initiative in helping those same people get active and gain the physical and mental health benefits of movement for themselves.”