Unhealthy Britain: half of adults walk less than a mile a day – survey

Britons are being urged to take to their feet after research showed more than half of adults walk less than a mile a day.

A poll of 2,198 adults conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the charity Cancer Research UK found that on average 52% of UK adults walk a mile a day or less during the week – the equivalent of 2,000 steps – and almost a fifth (17%) walk less than a quarter of a mile.

The survey asked people what stopped them walking. About a third said a lack of time puts them off walking more, while a quarter put their inactivity down to bad weather.

Smaller numbers said they did not feel safe walking on their own, while others put it down to the fact there wasn’t anywhere nice to walk near them.

The long-term benefits of being active have been shown in numerous studies. A person who walks between 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day qualifies as “moderately active”, according to the UK National Obesity forum.

Cancer Research UK has warned that inactivity increases the risk of cancer. About 160,000 people a year die from cancer, the charity said, but thousands of these cases could be prevented by regular exercise.

The charity also said being active helps people maintain a healthy weight, which also reduces the risk of cancer. Being overweight or obese is the single biggest cause of preventable cancer in the UK after smoking. It is linked to 13 types of cancer including bowel, breast, and pancreatic.

Katie Edmunds, Cancer Research UK health information officer, said: “These are worrying figures. While our frenzied lifestyles can make it tough for people to find time to keep active, any level of exercise is better than none, so building some moderate activity into your daily routine can really make a difference.”

She added: “For many people a spot of brisk walking is the easiest way to do this … As well as causing mood-lifting chemical changes in the brain, you’ll enjoy a sense of achievement from taking on a new challenge.”

To motivate people to get walking, Cancer Research UK is encouraging people to get fitter by challenging them to take 10,000 steps a day this June.