Brits not exercising 'could put health at risk'

A new survey has discovered that a high percentage of Britons are participating in little or no exercise due to their busy lifestyles and a general lack of awareness of the benefits it can bring.

Some 73 per cent of the 1,376 people surveyed for Myprotein.co.uk were not exercising for the recommended 30 minutes a day, five times a week, with 65 per cent of respondents blaming a lack of time for their inactivity.

Meanwhile, 25 per cent said that they did not participate in exercise at all and a further 32 per cent argued that they had better things to do than exercise.

However, 73 per cent of the respondents also said they were unhappy with their appearance, while 22 per cent did not know the sort of foods they should be eating as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Oliver Cookson, managing director of Myprotein.co.uk, said that the results are worrying, but that people could be happier with the way they look if they are more active.

"Managing our time effectively is an issue that affects us all, but exercise doesn't have to mean pounding a treadmill or hitting the weights. The research shows a correlation between the people who exercise less than recommended and those who were unhappiest with their appearance," he said.

Healthcare provider Bupa points out that it is possible to achieve the recommended 30 minutes exercise a day by making simple changes, such as walking up stairs instead of using lifts, walking up moving escalators and walking instead of driving for short journeys.