Recently published guidelines by National Institute of
Health and Clinical Exellence (NICE) strongly recommend where possible
individuals should exchange part of their daily journeys to work with a brisk
walk or riding a bike. This recommendation comes as a response to the ongoing
reports of high physical inactivity levels in the UK.
In order to accommodate these
requests, NICE also urged that local councils introduce bicycle hire schemes,
car-free events and highlight walking and cycling routes. In addition to that
the recommendations stressed that schools and businesses also ought to
encourage physical activity.
We are not surprised to hear
about these recommendations to increase activity given the impact it has on a
persons’ health. Inactivity is the fourth leading cause of premature death,
only preceded by smoking, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels and
we have previously reported how inactivity may be as harmful as smoking. The
latest findings indicate that six in ten men and seven in ten women in the UK
are not currently doing the recommended guidelines for exercise and that
Britain is lagging behind other European countries in terms of the average
amount of time spent cycling or walking per week. Perhaps the key finding is that that Britons
walk 80 miles less per person per year than a decade ago, which is a sobering
thought on what proportions these new levels of inactivity have reached and as
such should be taken as a serious cause for concern.
Although
busy modern lifestyles make it difficult to fit in more exercise, walking one
extra stop to the tube or taking the bike to work once or twice a week seems
like a feasible suggestion but asking councils to get people exercising is
totally ludicrous. Some of them can’t even collect the bins once a week so
goodness knows how they are expected to get people walking and cycling.