Walking 10,000 steps per day has long been a go-to goal for anyone looking to improve their fitness. But health leaders want adults in the UK to focus on the speed of the steps they're doing, not just the number.
Public Health England (PHE) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) are encouraging the nation to introduce 10 minutes of brisk walking into their day, an idea called 'Active 10'.
That's because for movement to count as "moderate intensity physical activity" it must get your heart rate up and cause you to breathe faster - something a long but gentle stroll may not do. The UK Chief Medical Officers' (CMO) currently recommends adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week.
The renewed focus is designed to help the three million middle-aged adults who are currently classed as "physically inactive" across the country, meaning they do less than 30 minutes of physical activity per week. A new survey from PHE revealed lack of time as a major contributor to inactivity, with almost one third (31%) of adults saying this was the main reason they didn't exercise, followed by not feeling motivated (27%) and being too tired (25%).
