One brisk walk a day? 6m Britons don’t take one a month

Middle-aged urged to get more exercise to help reduce the risk of early death

FOUR in 10 middle-aged adults are failing to manage even one brisk 10-minute walk a month, health officials have warned.

One brisk walk a day is enough to cut the risk of early death by as much as 15 per cent, Public Health England (PHE) said.

But six million Britons aged between 40 and 60 do not even achieve this each month, increasing their risk of cancer, heart disease and other potentially fatal medical problems, the research found.

Health officials said changes in habits in recent decades mean people were now 20 per cent less active than they were in the Sixties – with cars increasingly used for even short trips.

They urged people to make small changes to their lives, using a free app that sets activity targets.

Dr Jenny Harries, deputy medical director at PHE, said: “Walking to the shops instead of driving, or going for a brisk 10-minute walk on your lunch break each day can add many healthy years to your life. The Active 10 app is a free and easy way to help anyone build more brisk walking into their daily routine.”

Research on almost 200,000 adults found that 45 per cent of middle-aged men, and 38 per cent of middle-aged women, fail to have a brisk walk of even 10 minutes once a month.

In 20 years, the proportion of trips taken on foot has fallen by a fifth, with just 22 per cent of journeys now involving walking.

Professor Sir Muir Gray, clinical adviser for the Active 10 app, said the PHE research showed that small changes could make a dramatic difference.

“We all know physical activity is good for your health, but for the first time we’re seeing the effects that easily achievable changes can make. By walking just 10 continuous minutes at a brisk pace every day, an individual can reduce their risk of early death by 15 per cent.”

“They can also prevent or delay the onset of disability and further reduce their risk of serious health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia and some cancers.”

A brisk walk amounted to at least 3mph, officials said.

The Government recommends that adults should take part in at least two-anda-half hours of moderately intense activity every week.

The PHE report says 20 per cent of those aged between 40 and 60 manage less than half an hour weekly. Health officials said even small amounts of activity could make a critical difference, when targets of 150 minutes a week might feel “unrealistic”.

It follows NHS proposals for families to be given discounts on their supermarket shopping if they hit weekly exercise “step targets”.

Free bicycles, sprinting tracks on pavements and outdoor public gyms are also proposed as part of efforts to increase fitness.

Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England, said the schemes aimed to create a “design for life” which would persuade young and old out of sedentary habits.