One in four adults gets less than 30 minutes exercise every week

We’re increasingly becoming a nation of couch potatoes – after new research revealed that one in four adults gets less than 30 minutes of exercise every week.

An annual review by NHS Digital found that high levels of obesity among adults and children are still prevalent – with only around a quarter of adults eating the recommended five portions of fruit and veg every week.

And when it was broken down into gender, it seems that men are more active that women – with 27 percent of women undertaking less than 30 minutes of physical activity every week, in contrast to 24 percent of men.

Employment also proved to affect obesity levels – with 37 percent of unemployed people reportedly likely to not take exercise, compared to 17 percent of those in professional and managerial roles.

The study was also broken down regionally – and found that South Tyneside, Leicester, Barking and Dagenham and Rochdale were among the unhealthiest areas in the UK – with almost 31 percent of people unlikely to take up weekly exercise.

In contrast, Wokingham and Brighton and Hove were among the healthiest areas of the UK – with less than 15 percent of people not taking up exercise.

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Dietary habits were also probed by the NHS Digital report – and found that

Some 47% of men, and 42% of women ate fewer than three portions a day.

The study also revealed that there was a staggering 525,000 hospital admissions in 2015/16 where obesity was recorded as a factor.

And with that, we’re off to the gym.