Fitness & sport

Our latest fitness and sport articles, videos and other useful support information.

All of our members have access to the best healthcare in the UK. Our policies cover a range of benefits, from reimbursement of your dental and optical costs to cutting edge cancer treatments. These benefits can be managed through the WPA Health app, where making a health insurance claim has never been easier. Add to this our 24/7 Remote GP service and award-winning customer service team and you can rest assured you're in safe hands. Please see below a range of fitness and sport information to help support your health and general wellbeing.

Runners

Running hub

Running can help to strengthen bones, muscles and maintain a healthy weight. It is easy to get started and doesn't require much kit beyond a good pair of shoes. It's a form of exercise that works equally well on your own or in the company of friends.

Running can improve your cardiovascular fitness as well as your mental health and wellbeing. Visit our Running hub to get started.

Running hub

The benefits of exercise for our health

Being more active can improve your physical and mental health, your heart and joint health, your weight, energy and quality of life. Exercise can lower your risk of developing many long-term health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and even some cancers. Here's how you can get started.

Healthy weight Maintaining a healthy weight

It is estimated as many as two-thirds of UK adults are either overweight or obese and, as a nation, we're getting fatter. Maintaining a healthy weight is therefore a vital component of good health. Getting rid of excess weight can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce joint and mobility problems, and improve energy levels and mental health. Maintaining a healthy weight is also the key to avoiding serious health issues such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Heart health Maintaining your heart health

One of the best ways to maintain your heart health is to give it a bit of a workout. Regular aerobic exercise improves the heart's ability to pull oxygen out of the blood, so reducing the need for it to pump more blood to the muscles. It helps to lower your blood pressure, reduces 'bad' cholesterol that increases your risk of heart and circulatory diseases, and reduces stress hormones that can put an extra burden on the heart.

Gym Maintain your joints, bones and muscles

As we age, we all gradually lose muscle and bone mass, which can in time lead to joint problems. Building and maintaining joint strength through staying active is a key way to preserve your musculoskeletal health. Exercise improves bone density and keeps the muscles surrounding your joints strong, so helping with conditions such as arthritis. It increases your strength and flexibility, co-ordination and balance, all of which become increasingly important as we grow older.

Mental health Maintain your mental health

Exercise brings real benefits for mental health and emotional wellbeing. Exercise releases endorphins that can improve mood and give you more energy. By also releasing the hormone cortisol, exercise is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. Especially if it gets you out in the great outdoors, exercise can allow you to reset yourself mentally and emotionally. By making you feel more tired at the end of the day, regular exercise can improve your sleep.

Types of exercise to improve your health

Whether it's running, swimming, cycling, hitting the gym, or yoga in the front room, the key to making exercise 'stick' is finding an activity that works for you. Here are six types you can try.

Diet & nutrition

Diet is important to maintain good health. Ensure you have the right types of food to fuel your body and mind, support your immune system and to help keep you fit and healthy. View our helpful diet & nutrition information to find out more.

WPA Health app

Enhanced features in the palm of your hand.

Available on iOS and Android, and designed specifically for the convenience of our members, WPA Health provides easy access to make a claim 24/7, track claim and benefit limits, access 24/7 Remote GP Services, send and receive secure messages and more! Simply sign-in using your WPA username and password.

The content of the WPA website including the WPA Health and Wellbeing hub is for information only and is not a substitute for professional medical or legal advice or treatment and you should not rely upon it for that purpose. You should make your own full enquiries as to expertise and WPA makes no representation to the suitability, quality, reputation, experience or other attributes of those third parties' services. Use of any third party service is at your own risk.

WPA assumes no responsibility for the services supplied by third parties and, to the maximum extent permitted by law, excludes all liability to you for any loss or damage caused by third parties whom you identify from the WPA website. This exclusion of liability shall also apply to third parties who have acted negligently. For further information please see our Privacy & Legal section.

We are here for you

Existing members

Members have access to a range of support services, including 24/7 Remote GP Services, as well as exclusive member offers and ways to manage your membership on the go.

Help & support

Our Help & support has answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by both new and existing members.

Talk to us

If you'd like to talk to someone about becoming a member, please give our UK team a call on

01823 625050