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A large proportion of middle-aged adults are putting their health at risk, according to a study by Public Health England (PHE), which found that four in ten adults between 40 and 60 years of age walk less than ten minutes continuously at a brisk pace.
The report, which PHE commissioned as part of its One You Active 10 campaign, found that just under 45% of men and 38% of women walk less than ten minutes continuously at a brisk pace. The study defines brisk walking as activity sufficient to “raise your breathing rate” or “make you out-of-breath or sweat.”
London had the highest proportion of those in the 40–60 age range reporting that they walked less than ten minutes continuously at a brisk pace each month (44%).Those in the South West had the lowest proportions of both men and women walking less than ten brisk minutes a month continuously.
PHE’s One You Active Ten website lists a number of benefits of doing ten continuous minutes of brisk walking a day, including a lower risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, better physical fitness, and improved mood.
