Are we becoming a region of couch potatoes?

A survey has revaled that one in seven adults are not getting at least a 10-minute walk each month and are in danger of becoming couch potatoes.
Get moving: walkers step out to keep in shapeGet moving: walkers step out to keep in shape
Get moving: walkers step out to keep in shape

As many as 14% of adults go a whole month without taking even a 10-minute walk, according to the survey by Sport England.

Relating to England, the statistics - for 2013/14 - also showed the proportion of the population who cycled at least once a month was 15% - the same as in 2012/13.

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The Department for Transport figures – which also look at cycling trends - are based on returns to the annual Active People Survey carried out by Sport England and show 86% of adults walk for at least 10 minutes once a month for any purpose.

The report concludes: “On the whole, people who did not walk did not compensate by being more physically active in other ways.

“A similar pattern is found in the relationship between the prevalence of cycling and physical activity.”

The Active People Survey tracked people taking part in sport at region, county sport partnership and local authority level.

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Across the North West as a whole, 35.5% of residents reported that they took part in at least one session of ‘moderate intensity’ sport each week, that’s up from 34.1% when the survey began in 2006. And it seems Lancashire residents as a whole are more active than their counterparts across the North West, with 36.4% claiming they worked up a sweat in at least one session of ‘moderate intensity’ sport each week.

Individual local authority figures break down as follows:

Burnley 33.5%

Chorley 36.5%

Fylde 38.8%

Hyndburn 34.2%

Lancaster 37.3%

Pendle 27.9%

Preston 41.5%

Ribble Valley 41%

Rossendale 33.4%

South Ribble 38.3%

West Lancs 38%

Wyre 33.6%

From the Department for Transport report based on a survey administered by Sport England:

86% of adults walk (for at least 10 minutes) once a month for any purpose, with 57% in Cambridge walking at least five times a week;

The most frequent walkers are those aged 16-24, with 92% of men and 94% of women of this age walking once a month;

Up to the age of 44, women tend to walk more than men;

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47% of all adults walked at least five times a week and around 3% cycled at least five times a week;

Men aged 16-24 and 35-44 cycle the most, but just 8% of men aged 65 or more, and only 3% of women, get the bike out at least monthly;

There were increases in cycling rates in 35 local authorities between 2012/13 and 2013/14 with Cambridge again to the fore, with 28% of the adult population cycling at least five times a week and 57% taking to two wheels at least once a month.