Experts believe exercise advice is ‘unrealistic’

Current exercise guidelines, which suggest that people should be active for 150 minutes per week, are unrealistic, according to researchers.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the authors claim that the impractical advice is beyond the reach of some people in the UK, especially the elderly.

Furthermore, researchers suggest that striving to achieve the target could see the public overlooking the benefits of lighter exercise.

Public health officials claim that the current recommendations haven proven to be effective in lowering the risk of heart disease, and should therefore be adhered to.

A host of recent studies have linked inactivity, rather than obesity, to heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer, meaning that exercise is still important in fending off illness.

The authors of the study argue that the message from public health authorities needs to change, with greater emphasis on making inactive people move more

Professor Philipe de Souto Barreto from the Institute of Ageing at the University Hospital of Toulouse suggests people “make small incremental increases in physical activities in their daily life rather than reaching current recommendations."

However, Professor Kevin Fenton at Public Health England claims bouts of ten or more minutes of exercise have proven health benefits, but 150 minutes of physical activity a week has a more positive impact on a wide range of conditions.