South Tynesiders urged to swap four wheels for two feet

Residents in South Tyneside are being encouraged to get active in a bid to mantain a healthy lifestyle.
Regular walking is a good way to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.Regular walking is a good way to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Regular walking is a good way to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

New figures show that nearly two fifths of adults are failing to get enough activity into their week with over a quarter (25.6 per cent) not even active for 30 minutes a week.

The findings from the Sport England (Department for Culture Media & Sport) report found that 39.3 per cent of adults are not getting the minimum recommended 150 minutes of activity a week needed to stay healthy.

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This is made up of 25.6 per cent of people who are not active for 30 minutes a week or more and a further 13.7 per cent who are only active for between 30 and 149 minutes a week.

Of those who were active for at least 150 minutes per week (60.7 per cent), over a third achieved it entirely through walking for leisure.

Living Streets, the UK charity for everyway walking, is encouraging more people to swap four wheels for two feet for short journeys to help achieve their 150 minutes, stay healthy and reduce the risk of preventable illness.

Tim Fitches, impact and evaluation manager at Living Streets, said: “The findings show that walking plays a large part in the lives of people who are active.

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“They also show that walking stands to offer a lot to people who want to try and fit more activity into their lives in an easy and achievable way.

“By making small changes to daily routines – skipping a stop on public transport, walking to the local shops or parking further away – we can reduce the risk of significant health issues including heart disease, cancer, depression and type 2 diabetes as well as getting fitter and happier in the process.”