Health secretary Andy Burnham has announced details of new sports and physical activity schemes that will form part of the government's vision to improve fitness levels throughout the UK.

In a speech to industry representatives at Leisure Connection's Willesden Sports Centre in London on 13 August, Burnham identified four key aims as part of the government's ambitions to establish Britain as one of the healthiest and most active nations in Europe. With more than 2.5 million people currently on incapacity benefits costing the economy £13bn and the industry £11bn each year, one of the main targets for the government is to use the National Health Service (NHS) to take a more proactive role in the promotion of healthy lifestyles as a main concern.

According to the Department of Health (DoH), more than a third of people currently on incapacity benefits suffer from either mental health issues or muscular or skeletal disorders, which could be addressed by tailored physical activity initiatives, while a 20 per cent increase in cycling could also save the NHS more than £50m a year in treatments. The government is looking to establish a new inter-department agreement to ensure that healthy living is at the forefront of policy decisions, while it is also hoped that social attitudes can be altered so that physical activity is seen as a clinical need rather than a lifestyle choice.

Burnham said: "We need an ambition for physical activity commensurate with the ambition we've already shown in hosting this decade of sport. Just as five years ago, we set ourselves the target of coming fourth in the 2012 Olympic medal tables, now I want us to aspire to fourth place in the physical activity league tables over the next 10 years. "This would be an unprecedented achievement, but I believe it is achievable and vital for dealing with the big challenges of our day."

Burnham also provided an update on the latest plans as part of the Change4Life initiative, which includes a new Dance Champions Group to promote dance participation in the lead up to 2012, and the new Swim4Life campaign to complement the existing free swimming scheme. In addition, Mike Farrar has been appointed as a health champion for the NHS and will be responsible for ensuring that physical activity is placed at the heart of the health service.