Physically inactive equates to less than 150 minutes/week of moderate intensity physical activity and strength activities 2 days/week. Physical inactivity contributes to premature deaths from coronary disease. What are you doing to boost your activities?
More than 20 Million British Reported Physically Inactive
More than 20 million people in the UK are physically inactive, according to a report by the British Heart Foundation.
The charity warns that inactivity increases the risk of heart disease and costs the NHS around £1.2bn each year.
Women are 36% more likely than men to be classified as physically inactive – 11.8 million women compared with 8.3 million men.
The report defines “inactive” as not achieving the government guidelines for physical activity of 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week and strength activities on at least two days a week.
The BHF analysis found that the average man in the UK spends a fifth of his lifetime sitting – equivalent to 78 days a year. For women, it is around 74 days a year.
In the UK, physical inactivity contributes to almost one in 10 premature deaths from coronary heart disease, and one in six deaths from any cause.
What counts as vigorous activity?
Jogging or running, swimming fast, riding a bike fast or on hills, singles tennis, football, rugby, skipping rope, hockey, aerobics, gymnastics, martial arts
What activities strengthen muscles?
Lifting weights, working with resistance bands, doing exercises that use your own body weight, such as push-ups and sit-ups, heavy gardening, such as digging and shovelling, yoga.
The charity is hoping more people take up the challenge this year to kickstart a more active lifestyle.
They found that three-quarters of people in England (76%), when referred for rehabilitation after suffering a heart attack or having heart surgery, are considered physically inactive.
Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour in the UK remain stubbornly high, and, combined, these two risk factors present a substantial threat to our cardiovascular health and risk of early death.
“Evidence shows keeping physically active can reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease by as much as 35% and risk of early death by as much as 30%.”
The charity also found regional variations, with the North West of England having 47%, or 2.7 million adults that are insufficiently active.
The South East had the lowest rate at 34%.
In Northern Ireland, almost half (46%) of the adult population – that’s around 650,000 people – are deemed to be physically inactive.
In Wales, 42% of the population, more than one million people are physically inactive.
While in Scotland, 37% of the adult population, around 1.6 million people – are physically inactive. read more at bbc.com
The report is in, physical activity is a must to maintain good health.