Helping make a nation healthier

From Step to Zumba, there’s an aerobics class to suit all ages and you’re never too old to start. In fact, over £19 million of lottery-funding helped establish Age UK’s ‘Fit as a fiddle’ programme to increase physical activity and well-being among older people, including bespoke Zumba and Nordic Walking classes. To find your nearest aerobics class visit www.spogo.co.uk.

Swimming is a fantastic low-impact activity, which will work almost every muscle in your body without harming your joints. The sport has benefitted from close to £190 million of lottery funding. To make a splash at your local pool visit www.swimming.org.

It’s good for your heart, improves mental functions and all you need is a pair of trainers. Parks offer some of the best running routes in the country and more than 700 parks across the UK have benefited from lottery funding. To find a route near you visit www.runengland.org.

Football is the world’s most popular team sport and a kick about in the park is completely free! So it’s great news that more than 700 playing fields have been saved from closure in England thanks to National Lottery funding. To find your nearest kick about visit www.thefa.com.

It’s kind on your knees and a great way to get to the shops. Not only that, but thanks to the lottery-funded National Cycle Network there’s a cycle route within two miles of 75 per cent of the population. To find your nearest cycle route check out www.sustrans.org.uk.

If you’ve got a head for heights, climbing could be the sport for you; it tones muscles and helps with weight loss. More than 120 lottery-funded grants have been awarded to help more people enjoy climbing. To find out more, go to The British Mountaineering Council at www.thebmc.co.uk.

From the ‘locking’ and ‘popping’ of street dance to the elegance of ballroom, there’s a dance style to suit everyone. More than £7 million of lottery funding has been awarded to dance projects all across the country. So pull on your dancing shoes and visit www.keepfit.org.uk for your nearest class.

Many people haven’t played since school, yet netball is one of the most social sports going with teams made-up of seven players per side. With more than 8,000 lottery-funded sports facilities around the UK, you can find your nearest netball court and game at www.englandnetball.co.uk.

With a match lasting around 40 minutes, it’s the perfect exercise for your lunch break. The National Lottery has awarded 440 grants to squash projects all around the country – to find your nearest squash facility go to www.spogo.co.uk.

Whether it’s out on the open water or indoors on a machine, rowing provides a great full-body work-out. And to help more people enjoy the sport, The National Lottery has awarded over £43 million to grass roots rowing projects. To stick your oar in visit www.britishrowing.org.

To find a lottery-funded sports centre near you, visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk. The National Lottery is also a supporter of Sport England’s ‘This Girl Can’, a high-profile campaign to inspire more women to do sport by celebrating active women who are doing their thing no matter how they do it, how they look or even how sweaty they get. Find out more at www.thisgirlcan.co.uk.