Couch potato Britons walk 20% less than a decade ago
‘Inactivity epidemic’
WITH the wonders of modern technology, many prefer internet shopping to the high street, Netflix over the cinema and working from home instead of heading to the office.
So perhaps it’s no wonder that Britons are walking 20 per cent less than a decade ago, according to research.
But experts warn it is time to get off the sofa and dust off our walking boots, as Britain is becoming a nation of couch potatoes. Their report found that the number of journeys made by foot fell by a fifth between 2005 and 2015, in a stark illustration of our sedentary lifestyles.
And despite huge investment in cycling lanes, the study also showed that adults are making fewer journeys by bike – with many believing it is too dangerous. But, in perhaps the most dramatic reflection of changing lifestyles, it also indicates that people are also leaving their home less frequently and taking fewer trips overall – whether it be by foot, bike, car or public transport.
The Walking and Cycling report from the DfT finds that the average number of walking trips taken by those living in England dropped by 19 per cent between 2005 and 2015 – from around 4.7 trips a week to 3.8 trips a week. The distance walked also decreased by 8 per cent over the same period, from 3.8 miles per week to 3.5 miles per week.
But Britons who are walking less are not simply jumping into their cars instead. The total number of trips taken by the average person in a year – whether it be by car or public transport – has fallen 13 per cent from 1,045 in 2005 to 914 in 2015.
The least active people were in Sandwell in the West Midlands, where less than six in ten (56.4 per cent) people walked at least once a week.
And men walk less than women, particularly those in their thirties, according to the report.
It suggests this may be because women of that age make four times as many school runs as men.
Health campaigners pointed out the decline in walking coincides with the surging popularity of online shopping.
It has also coincided with a sharp increase in employees working from home rather than heading into the office every day.
There are around 1.7million home workers in the UK, up from just over 1.1million in 1999, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The DfT also found that the proportion of trips made by bike has not increased over the last decade, despite more cycle lanes.
Their figures show that cycling accounted for just 2 per cent of journeys in England in 2016 – the same as 2006.
Men are cycling three times more often and four times further than women. The report said women were more likely to be reluctant to cycle because they believe the roads are too dangerous.
Fresh evidence of our couch potato lifestyles comes amid warnings from Public Health England that Britain is in the midst of a major ‘inactivity epidemic’, with nearly half of adults failing to go for a brisk walk even once a month.
According to the government, only three- fifths of adults in England meet the recommended level of physical activity of 150 minutes a week.
Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum said: ‘We’re in danger of becoming a nation of coach potatoes. People are happy to sit on the couch watching hours of TV but don’t do the 30 minutes of activity that decreases their likelihood of an early death.’
Simon Gillespie, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation added: ‘Inactivity increases your risk of heart disease and directly contributes to one in six deaths. In an age where we’re all living increasingly sedentary lives, building physical activity into your daily routine has never been more important to improve health and well-being.’