People taking weight-loss jabs should still do physical exercise including strength training to avoid muscle wastage, England’s chief medical officer has said.
In an article for The i Paper, Professor Sir Chris Whitty said those taking the GLP-1 medication should focus on activities that build strength as their weight decreases to protect muscle mass.
It is estimated that around 1.6 million adults in Britain used weight-loss injections such as Wegovy or Mounjaro last year, with their popularity set to soar even higher due to weight-loss pills going on sale in pharmacies for the first time this month.
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WORLD NEWS
Inside the Ukrainian fortress city Russia wants
Vladimir Putin’s forces have their eyes set on Kostyantynivka, a pillar of Ukraine’s “fortress belt” in the east of the country. It is seen as key to the Russian conquest of Donetsk and wider Donbas.
What you need to know
The city has emerged as a central target for the Kremlin just as Donald Trump’s attention returns to Ukraine, with Putin claiming in a call with the US President that Russia already holds it.
The once-thriving industrial city of 66,000 is now a wasteland of blackened, gaping buildings, cratered roads littered with burnt-out vehicles and cobwebs of nets hung over highways to protect from drones buzzing overhead.
Why Putin says Kostiantynivka is the ‘key’
Putin claimed that the city was “the key to liberating the entire territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic” last Thursday.
For Putin, taking Donetsk is “symbolic”, experts say. In 2022, Donetsk was among four regions that Moscow claimed to have annexed, despite not controlling the whole of them.
Difficult times ahead for Putin
The battle comes at a difficult time for Putin, with Ukraine expanding its drone campaign against targets inside Russia, prompting a civilian fuel crisis, front line logistics issues and growing public criticism.
Watch more from The i Paper
A hose pipe ban has been introduced for millions more people across England
It comes as temperatures continue to rise across the UK.
(Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty).
Where is the ban?
The ban comes as officials warn the latest heatwave could increase the likelihood of drought across parts of England.
Anglian Water, which oversees the east of England, introduced the ban from 1am Saturday. It will affect five million customers.
Around one million customers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will also face a ban under Southern Water.
And across Cambridge, roughly 350,000 customers will face a temporary hosepipe ban. Officials warn water resources are “under significant pressure”.
A band was also introduced for large parts of Kent on 3 July including Ashford, Canterbury, Faversham, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Snodland, Tenterden and Tunbridge Wells.
A closer look at the detail
Caption: People swim in the lido at Hampstead Heath, London. A rare red warning for extreme heat has been issued by the Met Office as the UK has sweltered in exceptionally hot and humid conditions. The heatwave, driven by a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe that has brought extreme conditions across the continent, has led to health warnings, school closures and transport disruption. Picture date: Friday June 26, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Ben Whitley/PA Wire
Photographer: Ben Whitley
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Source: PA
Baking temperatures
The UK recorded its eigth day at or above 34°C in a year on Thursday.
Record-breaking heat
This broke the previous high of seven days set in 1976 and 2020.
The sun blasts down on Broadstairs in Kent. Amber heat health alerts have been issued for central and southern England (Photo: Carl Court/Getty)
The Mayor of London has launched the UK capital’s first plan to cope with extreme heat (Photo: Rasid Necati Aslim/Getty)
Health alerts
Amber heat health alerts were issued for London, the Midlands and southern England, from 9am on Wednesday until 9pm on Sunday.
GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC
I’m a Met Office meteorologist – this weather is detrimental to all life on Earth
Clare Nasir has spent 30 years informing the British public about the weather. Although she still adores her job as a meteorologist, she admits it has become increasingly challenging.
Four Brits feared dead as wildfires rip through Spain
The British nationals are thought to be among at least 11 people killed after becoming trapped by a fast-moving wildfire in southern Spain, authorities said on Friday.
Caption: This image made from video provided by INFOCA shows firefighters battling a wildfire near Los Gallardos, Almeria, Spain, on Thursday, July 9, 2026. (INFOCA via AP)
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What you need to know
The four were reportedly found dead inside a car near the village of Bedar, Almeria, after trying to flee the blaze on Thursday, Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s minister for health and emergencies, said.
Caption: Members of the Spanish Civil Guard stand guard as smoke rises from a wildfire in Los Gallardos, Almeria, Spain, July 10, 2026. REUTERS/Loyola Perez de Villegas Muniz
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Caption: TOPSHOT – This handout photo released by the Military Emergency Unit (UME) on July 10, 2026 shows firefighters working on a wildfire that killed 11 near Bedar, in Los Gallardos district, in Almeria Province, on July 10, 2026. Eleven people were killed and 19 are missing after a wildfire tore through a Spanish village, with four victims who may have been British who were burned in their car, authorities said. (Photo by Handout / UME / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO /UME” – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences, writing on X of his “immense sadness and desolation in the face of the terrible consequences of the fire affecting the province of Almería”.
The latest
A power cable apparently fell onto dry vegetation near Los Gallardos, about 45 miles northeast of Almeria, sparking the fire on Thursday.
Around 1,000 people were evacuated from Bedar and nearby villages.
It has burned through about 7,780 acres, according to the regional government.
At least 460 emergency personnel, supported by military firefighters, aircraft and helicopters, were battling the blaze on Friday.
Up to 23 people are still missing, authorities said
In pictures: Wildfires rage in Spain
Caption: Smoke and flames rise during a wildfire in Los Gallardos, Spain, July 9, 2026 in this screengrab taken from a handout video. Forta/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. SPAIN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SPAIN.
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Caption: A helicopter drops water while fighting the Brunswick Creek wildfire in Boston Bar, British Columbia, on Thursday, July 9, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Photographer: DARRYL DYCK
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Source: The Canadian Press
Caption: Emergency personnel work during a wildfire in Almeria, Spain, in this screengrab taken from a handout video released on July 10, 2026. @Plan_INFOCA via X/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT. REFILE – CORRECTING DATE FROM “JULY 10, 2026” TO “RELEASED ON JULY 10, 2026”.
Photographer: @Plan_INFOCA via X
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What has Downing Street said?
I’m aware of those reports and the Foreign Office are in touch with the relevant authorities in Spain.
NO 10 SPOKESPERSON
Caption: A TV camera points at the door of 10 Downing Street in London, Monday, June 22, 2026 as expectations are growing that Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce his resignation soon.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
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Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
NEWS
What to know as Reform UK facing new probe over £250,000 donations
Farage with George Cottrell (left) when he had a milkshake thrown at him during his 2024 election campaign (Photo: James Manning/PA)
The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal investigation into two £250,000 donations made to Reform UK by Fiona Cottrell, the mother of the convicted fraudster George, who secretly bankrolled Nigel Farage, The Times reports.
What you need to know
The force’s inquiry is believed to relate to two £250,000 payments from Ms Cottrell, a 67-year-old aristocrat, made to Reform before the last general election before Farage became an MP.
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – APRIL 02: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (R) and Reform UK Treasury Spokesperson Robert Jenrick (L) pose for a photo during a press conference in London, United Kingdom on April 02, 2026. (Photo by Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Caption: FILE PHOTO: Leader of the Reform UK party Nigel Farage holds a glass at a pub, after he announced on Tuesday that he has resigned as an MP, triggering a by-election in his parliamentary seat, where he intends to stand for re-election, in Great Bentley, Britain, July 8, 2026. REUTERS/Jack Taylor/File Photo
Photographer: Jack Taylor
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According to the report, officers opened an inquiry in February 2025 into possible offences related to evading restrictions on donations around the 2024 general election, either through concealing donations from an “impermissible” donor or using false information about a donation.
A closer look at the detail
The first donation allegedly landed in the party’s account on May 9, 2024; the other landed on May 29, 2024.
Both were made before Farage officially announced he was going to stand.
The Met said two people had been interviewed under caution but no arrests have been made.
Farage resigns as MP over scrutiny into finances
On Tuesday, Farage resigned as MP for Clacton to head off questions about a £5m gift he received from crypto-billionaire and Reform donor Christopher Harborne.
He said he would stand again for the constituency in what he described as a “people vs establishment” vote.
But political parties refused to nominate a candidate to contest the seat, calling it a “political stunt”.
Farage’s only opponent is the satirical candidate Count Binface.
The resignation came as parliament’s watchdog announced an investigation into the £5m Harborne donation.
He has denied any wrongdoing and Reform rejected the allegations as a “daily routine of hit jobs and smears”.
Watch more from The i Paper
In a televised address on Tuesday afternoon, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced he would be stepping down as the MP for Clacton, triggering a by-election in which he would stand. We’ve fact-checked the claims made in his resignation speech. You can read Connie Dimsdale’s full article on The i Paper’s website. #farage #reform
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Bayeux Tapestry returns to the UK for first time in almost 1,000 years
The 70-metre long embroidery was escorted through Kent in the dead of night before arriving at the British Museum.
Caption: Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, waits for the truck (behind) carrying the Bayeux Tapestry to be unloaded at the museum in central London early on July 10, 2026, as the 11th-century artwork depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England arrives ahead its first UK exhibition from September. The medieval Bayeux Tapestry arrived in London in the early hours of July 10, after a hugely complicated journey to leave France for the first time in more than 900 years for an exhibition in the British capital. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: RICHARD A. BROOKS
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
What you need to know
The most extraordinary surviving work of art in European history, created in 11th-century Canterbury, was lowered back onto British soil at around 2.48am on Friday.
Caption: Workers unload a specially designed crate carrying the Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum in central London early on July 10, 2026, as the 11th-century artwork depicting the 1066 Norman conquest of England arrives ahead its first UK exhibition from September. The medieval Bayeux Tapestry arrived in London in the early hours of July 10, after a hugely complicated journey to leave France for the first time in more than 900 years for an exhibition in the British capital. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP via Getty Images)
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Caption: FILE – This photo taken Sept. 18, 2019 shows the 11th century Bayeux tapestry chronicling the Norman conquest of England, in Bayeux, Normandy, France. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu, File)
Photographer: Kamil Zihnioglu
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Around 7.5 million people are expected to see the tapestry in London when it goes on show from September to July 2027. At least £2.4m worth of ticket sales were generated within 24 hours.
A closer look at the detail
The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, which saw William the Conqueror take the English throne from King Harold and become the first Norman king of England.
The British Museum has said demand to see the “once-in-a-generation exhibition has already been unprecedented”.
Over the coming weeks the tapestry will undergo condition checks before being carefully installed within a custom showcase ahead of the exhibition opening.
It has been on display at the Bayeux Tapestry Museum in Bayeux in Normandy since 1983 and will return there when the museum reopens after renovations.
It was created around 960 years ago, likely in Canterbury, and this is the first time it is back on British soil since.
The story in pictures
Caption: Workers unload a box that contains the Bayeux Tapestry out of a truck at the British Museum in London, Friday, July 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Kwiyeon Ha)
Photographer: Kwiyeon Ha
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Source: AP
Caption: A scene from the Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the Norman Invasion of 1066. King Harold II (c.1022 – 1066) is killed at the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry is housed in the town of Bayeux in Normandy. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Photographer: Hulton Archive
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Source: Hulton Archive
The Bayeux Tapestry which relates Britain’s conquest by William the Conqueror (Guillaume le Conquerant) in 1066 (Photo: LOIC VENANCE / AFP)
A major diplomatic statement
Make no mistake – this is an historic moment and a significant act of friendship
Those were the words of Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who echoed French President Emmanuel Macron’s claim in The Times the exhibition reflected a “shared desire to see France and the United Kingdom build their future together”.
(Image: Wikimedia Commons/Myrabella)
news
Weight-loss jab users told to do strength training
People taking weight-loss jabs should still do physical exercise, including strength training, to avoid muscle wastage, England’s chief medical officer has said.
What you need to know
In an article for The i Paper, Professor Sir Chris Whitty said those taking the GLP-1 medication should focus on activities that build strength as their weight decreases.
Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY MARCH 8
File photo dated 16/10/24 of Semaglutide (GLP-1) weight-loss drug Wegovy. Ads for an online pharmacy have been banned for promoting prescription-only weight-loss medication to the public and exploiting new mothers’ insecurities about body image. The Instagram and Facebook ads for Juniper also created an undue sense of urgency for those considering medicated weight-loss programmes while posts in weight-loss support groups on Facebook did not make clear that they were paid for by the advertiser, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found. Issue date: Wednesday April 8, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
Photographer: James Manning
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He said that all adults, whether or not they are taking GLP-1 drugs, can benefit from even short bursts of physical activity for a few minutes per day to keep fit.
A closer look at the detail
In addition to this general improvement in health, it is important to do things which maintain strength and balance.
Whitty said building strength alongside losing weight with drugs was crucial to being healthy as you get older.
Caption: Fitness, bodybuilder and sports white woman weightlifting in a gym for a strong body. Exercise, health and training with a female athlete concentrating while lifting weights for a workout
Photographer: Dean Mitchell
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The new advice will also place a greater emphasis on core and muscle-strengthening exercises.
Some examples
Caption: Woman is doing a variation of plank pose.
Photographer: DenizA
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Source: iStockphoto
Copyright: Deniz AYCI LEU
Pilates
Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on balance, posture, strength and flexibility.
Yoga
Yoga can help with a number of conditions, including anxiety, depression, back pain, blood pressure and chronic fatigue.
Caption: This is a photo of a man lying on a yoga mat about to do chest presses with dumbbells. See PA Feature HEALTH Back Exercises WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA feature HEALTH Back Exercises. PA Photo. Picture credit should read: Alamy/PA. NOTE TO EDITORS: This picture must only be used to accompany HEALTH Back Exercises.
Photographer: Alamy
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Caption: A man weight training at home in the living room – health and well being
Photographer: Nick David
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Source: Digital Vision
Copyright: Nick David
Weightlifting
Strength and flexibility exercises will help you increase muscle strength and improve balance.
Gym owners seek clarity over who they can allow to use their facilities (Photo: Mike Harrington/Getty/Stone RF)
opinion
How to keep fit while using weigh-loss jabs
It is estimated around 1.6 million adults in Britain used weight-loss injections such as last year, with their popularity set to soar due to weight-loss pills going on sale in pharmacies for the first time this month.
The Channel ‘choke point’ trapping Putin as shadow tankers veer away fearing seizure
Tankers carrying illicit Russian oil are adding days to their voyages by sailing around the north of Scotland following Britain’s seizure of a shadow tanker last month.
What you need to know
In the 13 days before Royal Marines boarded the Smyrtos, two-thirds of the tankers blacklisted for violating international sanctions travelled through the Channel.
But in the 13 days following the seizure, only a quarter of sanctioned tankers risked sailing between the UK and France. The vast majority took the longer route around Scotland, according to data provided by Starboard Maritime Intelligence, The i Paper can reveal.
What is the shadow fleet?
Comprised of hundreds of ageing and often uninsured vessels with obscure ownership, the “shadow fleet” is used to carry Russian oil sold in contravention of a price cap imposed by G7 nations following the invasion of Ukraine.
The vessels often operate outside of maritime regulations by sailing under false flags in order for Putin to bypass sanctions and fund his war in Ukraine.
Around a dozen shadow fleet tankers have been seized since 2024 by countries including France, Sweden, Estonia, Belgium, Germany and Finland.
The expert view
Tankers that avoid the English Channel are seeing significant disruption to their voyages, and those routes will be longer and slower and more costly
GONZALO SAIZ ERAUSQUIN, RESEARCH FELLOW AT THE ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE
Caption: This handout picture taken on June 14, 2026 and released by the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) shows 421 Commando of the UK Commando force conducting maritime interdiction operations on the CMR Smyrtos sailing under a false Cameroonian flag, in the English Channel off the coast of the United Kingdom. British forces on June 14 intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel, the defence ministry said, in a six-hour operation hailed by Kyiv. (Photo by Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) / AFP via Getty Images) / – NO Marketing campaign / —–EDITORS NOTE — RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / UK Ministry of Defence CROWN COPYRIGHT, 2026 ” – NO MARKETING – NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS – NO ARCHIVES – TO BE USED WITHIN 2 DAYS FROM JUNE 14, 2026 (48 HOURS), EXCEPT FOR MAGAZINES WHICH CAN PRINT THE PICTURE WHEN FIRST REPORTING ON THE EVENT /
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Caption: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin in Moscow, Russia, June 15, 2026. Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
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The Smyrtos tanker seizure appears to have worried Moscow
An increasing number of shadow fleet vessels appeared to be taking routes aiming to evade potential seizure, either by avoiding the English Channel or other “pinch points” like the Strait of Gibraltar, experts say.
Watch more from The i Paper
“Poland has reportedly been warned that Russia is planning an armed “provocation” on its soil to test Nato’s resolve,” writes The i Paper’s Global Affairs Correspondent, Molly Blackall. “This could include missile or drone attacks on Polish critical infrastructure, or a limited invasion by Russian soldiers, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.” Read Molly’s full piece on @theipaper website.
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But there are concerns that some of those taking the drugs may believe they do not need to do exercise as they are losing weight medically.
Strength training can include core-building exercises like Pilates and yoga, as well as weightlifting.
Whitty, along with the chief medical officers for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, have updated their guidelines for physical activity for all ages, whether or not they take weight-loss medication, to reflect new scientific evidence.
Whitty said there was now “very robust” data showing the physical and mental health benefits of doing regular exercise, which studies show can reduce, prevent or delay diseases like coronary heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes, breast cancer and bowel cancer, arthritis and depression.
Since the advice was last published in 2019, there has been an explosion in popularity for weight-loss jabs and the guidelines will for the first time make reference to the medication.
In his article, Whitty also said that all adults, whether or not they are taking GLP-1 drugs, can benefit from even short bursts of physical activity – sometimes referred to as “exercise snacks” – for a few minutes per day to keep fit.
The old guidelines recommended all adults aged 19 to 64 do either 150 minutes (two and a half hours) of moderate intensity activity, such as brisk walking or cycling, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity, such as running, every week.
While the 2019 advice also recommended doing shorter duration exercises, the new guidelines place a greater emphasis on the benefits of even doing these short bursts.
Whitty said in his article: “We have made clearer that for those who do almost no physical activity, even small amounts will significantly improve their overall physical and mental health, and this increases rapidly with every increment of activity up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, with the benefits increasing more slowly after that.
“Do not therefore be put off if you think you cannot make 150 minutes – make a start and see how you go. Every extra bit will benefit you.”
The new advice will also place a greater emphasis on core and muscle-strengthening exercises.
Whitty added: “In addition to this general improvement in health, it is important to do things which maintain strength and balance.
Sir Chris Whitty says it is important that those taking weight-loss drugs concentrate on strength as their weight decreases to protect their muscles (Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty)
“As we age we all lose muscle mass – keeping strength and balance into older age can be the difference between an active and independent later life and earlier frailty and dependency.
“Since the last time CMOs [chief medical officers] reviewed the guidelines many people have started GLP-1 agonist drugs for diabetes and weight loss, and it is important those taking the drugs concentrate on strength as weight decreases to protect muscle.”
The updated physical activity guidelines reflect studies showing the health benefits of light-intensity activity, reducing prolonged periods of sitting, and including strength and balance exercises as part of everyday life.
They also suggest that the positive effects of physical activity in women are stronger than in previously published studies.
The guidelines cover all stages of life, including children and young people, adults, older adults, disabled people and women during pregnancy and after birth.
They reinforce the message that building activity into everyday routines can help improve health and wellbeing.
The refreshed guidance also recognises that physical activity does not need to take place in long or structured sessions to have a positive impact and that beneficial exercise can include walking to the shops, taking the stairs at work, gardening and even doing housework.
Families are also encouraged to keep their children active during the school summer holidays, when young people’s activity levels often decline.
In a joint statement, all four chief medical officers said: “Evidence continues to show that if physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent or treat.”
Chris Boardman, chair of Sport England, said: “Physical activity is one of the closest things we have to a wonder cure.
“Whether it’s a walk to the shops, a bike ride, a jog or a game of football, moving more improves our physical and mental health, helps us stay independent for longer, and connects us with the people and places around us.
“Making it easier and more enjoyable to be active, especially for those who need it most, has the power to change lives. It strengthens families, communities and, ultimately, our nation.”
Paul Farmer, chair Richmond Group of Charities and CEO of Age UK, said: “We are pleased to see that the revised activity guidelines emphasise that any activity is better than none.
“This is so important to people with long-term health conditions, who are one of the least active groups, yet have the most to gain in health benefits from physical activity.”