The majority of adults in the UK are not exercising enough which could have serious health implications, experts have warned.
Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week in order to stay healthy. But, according to recent findings, less than 30% are reaching that number.
It is estimated that as many as 71% of adult women and 73% of men exercise less than recommended, The Telegraph reports.
An active lifestyle has been shown to reduce the risk of various health problems such as heart disease and long-term back and neck pain.
But all is not lost, there appears to be a viable solution to this inactivity: prescribing exercise.
You needn't join a gym to improve your fitness. Scroll down for easy exercises to do in the comfort of your own home.
According to The Telegraph, researchers have found that by prescribing a 24-week programme of activity patients exercised for an extra 29 minutes per week.
This concept is nothing new, with 'exercise on referral' schemes found across the UK. But, as they are not widely used, experts have called for the programmes to be rolled out.
"We found that exercise on referral schemes were a valuable way to encourage older participants to be more active," said a Northumbria University PhD candidate, when presenting her findings at the British Science Festival in Newcastle Coral Hanson. "Health professionals could improve attention to the scheme by focusing referrals on those who are over 55 years old."
She added: "We know that as they get older people become less active, so for this scheme to be able so show that it is a good way to encourage people to be active as they get older - that's a really positive thing."