A mile a day

I expect you saw or heard about the latest Public Health England (PHE) Survey results released this week, that 41% of adults in the UK, aged between 40 to 60 do not do even manage 10 minutes of brisk walking over the course of a single month. I can't believe that - surely everyone can manage 10 minutes!? The survey report goes on to explain that folks are missing out on important health benefits if they don't achieve this milestone- you don't say! Our lifestyles have changed over time -  we are 20% less active now than we were in the 1960s and on average walk 15 miles less a year than 2 decades ago. The sedentary nature of our modern, busy lives makes it difficult for many to find the time for enough exercise to benefit their health. Actually, for all my sneering, I do understand how easy it is to jump in the car everywhere. Having to commute by public transport in London might be a nightmare from time to time, but it helps keeps you fit! And I was very disparaging of PHE's solution to the nation's health problems, namely the release of a new App called Active10 - bit too trendy for my liking. But then I read that over 100,000 people have already downloaded it - so what do I know! Much more to my liking is the solution to tackling children's obesity in a school in my local borough of Ealing. As well as healthy school meals, Stanhope Primary has introduced the 'daily mile' and no matter what the weather, every child has to run, skip or walk a mile long track every day. The kids love it and are all the healthier for it. Maybe I'll download that app - it might surprise me....