Englishmum

'The Observer' (weekend 'Guardian') newspaper is citing a report where "Almost one in ten adults has not continuously walked for 5 minutes in the past four weeks" in England.

Considering the Olympics took place in London last year and the success of Team GB, I was under the impression that many Brits were inspired to take up a new sport or fitness regime.

Not for one minute do I believe that a low income equates that someone should mean that a person should be lethargic or inactive; walking costs nothing and can even raise the 'feel-good' seratonin levels to ward off depression.

It seems that many Brits are just lazy lard-arses!


http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...argets-fitness

Personally although I could do with losing a few pounds (which I blame on too much chocolate, cheese and lack of low fat dairy products here in Switzerland) I've always tried to do at least some exercise. In the US I used to go to aqua-aerobics most weekday mornings and just walk around in the local suburbs.

Here I try and swim 3 to 4 times a week (pool and in the Summertime in a lake), walk 25 mins or cycle into the local town, and at the weekends go for long walks with my spouse. Yesterday we did a 4 hour hike at the plateau on the mountain behind our apartment....although I did have a mac & cheese at a mountain chalet, so I didn't burn off any calories I have plantar fascitis on one foot (tears in the heel muscle which becomes very tender and painful ) so just take an anti-inflammatory pill (Aleve or Advil ibuprofen) to dull the pain. It won't put me off getting out and about, even if the weather is foul.

What kinds of exercise do you do (or not)?

dunroving

Unfortunately, this isn't really "news" - the problem with inactivity is highlighted in the media regularly, every time with a shock/horror slant. And although I respect the tremendous achievements of Lord Coe, his insistence that there is some sort of "legacy" whereby major sporting events somehow magically inspire people to "get on their bike" simply isn't supported by any empirical evidence (in fact the opposite - no Olympics, etc., has ever resulted in a clearly-linked increase in population activity levels).

The Commonwealth Games will be in Glasgow this summer and the media is full of the same aspirations - I see it every week, and hear it from many quarters (that's my area - exercise science, sport science, whatever you choose to call it).

Researchers still plough millions into studying in ever-greater detail "how" physical activity improves health and "how" we can improve sporting performance, but we still don't really have a clear idea of "how" to get people off their couches.

Mummy in the foothills

Shockingly low as compared to where I wonder.
It surprises me as when we go to UK visiting, it seems everyone has to walk to get around town for shopping, limited on street parking and still lots of people who bus to town. They are definetly getting more exercise than the locals by me here in US, where everyone drives and just about all the shops have a carpark for free outside the door.

Jerseygirl

My daughter bought me a FitBit for Christmas...now I'm addicted to walking at least 10k or more steps per day. All the info is linked to my iPhone and iPads. It really has encouraged me to get out there and walk.

dunroving

If you are doing 10k steps a day that is really good.

Jerseygirl

I started at 5K...then 8K...now 10k...but now it's summer I am around 12K to 15K steps per day. The FitBit tells me when I am approaching my goal and send a weekly summary to all my Apple devices.

It may sound silly but it really bugs me if for some reason I can't reach my daily goal.

lf1

I'll have to google FitBit. Is it like a pedometer? Now that I have broken down and got an iphone maybe it will motivate me to start walking again. I have been very remiss in that department.

Jerseygirl

Yes it is but it calculates and stores other info besides distance. Mine is a fairly basic one but you can now get much more sophisticated ones...but this one suits my needs.

http://www.fitbit.com/zip

I was hoping to get my husband the new FitBit Flex for his birthday...but they were on quite a long waiting list the last time I looked.

lf1

Thanks.

chris955

Doesnt it mean though that more than 9 out of 10 ARE walking continuously for 5 minutes or whatever the criteria is?

britwhore

I started training with the NHS free podcast called "couch to 5K". A couple of months ago I couldn't run for 3 minutes at a time but this week I ran my first 5K without stopping!!!! Since moving back to the UK I do find I walk much more than when I lived in LA.

However I've started getting planter fasciitis in my right foot so I haven't run for a few days and I'm icing and taking Advil. Hopefully it will go soon!

pommybird

Well done on getting up and running!

Up until a couple ago I was a real couch potato too, when I turned 40 I lost a good friend of mine and she made me re-think how I look after myself. I started running and have never looked back, did a 5K, then a 10K and even managed a half marathon.

Hope your foot gets better soon and you can get back out there, keep it up, you won't regret it.

dunroving

Taking one 5-minute walk during the past month isn't a particularly impressive achievement, though.

britwhore

Thanks pommybird! I am totally hooked. Have no desire to run a marathon but I've always wanted to be one of those people that have their fave pair of sneakers and they can just get up and run. And now I am!!!!

Well done on your half marathon. It really is a mindset thing isn't it? Our bodies can do so much more than we think.

I haven't run since Thursday so I think my foot has rested quite a bit. Will try and go for a run tomorrow missing my trails!!!!! It's so much fun to run with deer and foxes

sallysimmons

My problem with exercise has always been that I hated it

But now, living up here in the Dales, I've become a walking addict.I walk at least 4 miles every day and on the weekends more like 7 or 8. And the best part is that it doesn't feel like hard work.

Britain is certainly a MUCH thinner country than America, so I'm surprised by this article.