Public Health England (PHE) has released new figures showing two in five middle-aged people in the UK are struggling to walk 10 minutes or more at a brisk pace per month.
More than six million adults aged 40-60 are not meeting this target and PHE has stressed the health benefits they are missing out on.
Now GPs are being urged to help prevent middle-aged inactivity by recommending an app to encourage people to do more walking and improve their health.
The app, Active 10, motivates people to incorporate 10 minutes of brisk walking a day to reduce their risk of health complications. Regular inactivity increases the risk of obesity, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, but eating healthily – especially low-carb – in addition to getting exercise can ameliorate these risks.
The app has been launched as part of PHE’s One You campaign, and measures both walking intensity and time spent walking, a feature which PHE describes as “the first of its kind”.
The launch follows PHE evidence that people in the UK are 20 per cent less active than they were in the 1960s, and adults are walking 15 miles less a year on average compared to 20 years ago.
Dr Jenny Harries, deputy medical director at PHE, said: “I know first-hand that juggling the priorities of everyday life often means exercise takes a back seat. Walking to the shops instead of driving or going for a brisk ten minute walk on your lunch break each day can add many healthy years to your life.”
Dr Zoe Williams, Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) clinical champion for physical activity, added: “As GPs we’re best placed to talk to people about how their lifestyles affect their health.
“Every GP should talk to their patients about the benefits of brisk walking and recommend the Active 10 app. It’s the first free app of its kind and an easy, accessible way to make brisk walking a daily habit.”
If you have significant mobility problems and a brisk walk is not possible, a range of other activities can be done for 10 minutes or more per day. These include low-impact activities such as yoga, Tai-Chi, water aerobics and armchair exercises.
Exercise is a key component of avoiding health complications and can complement a healthy diet, which is the most prominent way to improve your health. To find out more about eating real, natural foods and the benefits they have visit the Low Carb Program.

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