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Friday 15 May 2015

Lazy Britain.....

Almost half don't do ANY brisk exercise meaning the UK has some of the worse fitness levels in Europe 


  • New figures show that 44% of adults never do any moderate exercise 
  • Five million British adults spend more than eight hours a day sitting down 
  • One in ten adults admit that they never walk for longer than ten minutes
  • Britain is ranked 16th when compared to 26 other European countries


Nearly half of all Britons do no moderate exercise, figures show.
With moderate exercise defined as enough to raise your heart rate or cause you to break into a sweat, the figures reveal that British fitness levels are among the worst in Europe.
The British Heart Foundation statistics show that 44 per cent of adults never do any moderate physical activity.

About five million adults spend more than eight hours a day sitting down, and one in ten Britons admit they never walk for more than ten minutes at a time.
As a nation, we are three times less active than the Netherlands. Overall, Britain is ranked 16th out of 28 European countries for fitness levels – on a par with Slovakia, Romania and Ireland.

Catherine Kelly, director of prevention, survival and support at the BHF, said: ‘The figures are a worrying indication of the overall picture of our nation’s heart health. 
Alongside funding research into improving outcomes for heart patients, we need to create environments that make it easier for people to better understand and cut their risk of heart disease.

‘Research has shown that even making small, more active changes to your daily routine can improve your heart health.
‘With the warmer nights and lighter evenings, the summer is the perfect opportunity for people to start making these changes.’
The figures were compiled by Oxford University researchers who looked at national surveys on exercise and sedentary behaviour.
They show that only 10 per cent of British adults regularly play a sport or physical activity compared to 15 per cent in Sweden, Spain and Slovenia.
And 9 per cent said they never walked for more than ten minutes at a time.
Earlier this year a report by MPs warned that millions of women were too embarrassed to exercise for fear of being judged. Members of the health select committee said women worry they will be ‘ridiculed’ for being sweaty and out of breath, or for struggling at the back when out for a group jog.

NHS guidelines state adults should undertake at least two and a half hours’ moderate activity a week but fewer than a third of women and less than half of men actually do.
Last year NHS officials said a lack of exercise was to blame for one in six deaths – including from cancer, strokes and heart disease – a similar number to tobacco. They said our sedentary lifestyles are not only causing obesity – they are directly responsible for muscle and joint complaints, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, dementia, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

n Elderly men who exercise for just half an hour on most days of the week can extend their lifespan by five years, a new study has found.
The research suggests that older men who boost their physical activity levels do as much good for their health as giving up smoking.
The study found that carrying out 30 minutes of exercise six times a week was linked to a 40 per cent lower risk of death in men in their 70s. By comparison, giving up smoking resulted in a 41 per cent lower risk of death.

Men who exercised regularly at any intensity lived up to five years longer than those who did not.

The research by the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences in Oslo is published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
















Source: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3082439/Lazy-Britain-half-don-t-brisk-exercise-meaning-UK-worse-fitness-levels-Europe.html#ixzz3aCHPbAiD

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