England's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Chris Whitty, has warned that the shift towards working from home and online shopping is making people 'frail' due to lack of physical activity. Speaking at a media briefing in central London, he unveiled updated UK official guidance on exercise, emphasizing the importance of building muscle mass to delay frailty in later life.
New evidence on physical activity
The updated guidelines, compiled by the Chief Medical Officers of all UK nations, include new evidence showing the potentially lifesaving impact of even a small amount of physical activity for those currently inactive. The guidance confirms previous advice to aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a combination of both. Moderate exercise includes brisk walking or cycling, while vigorous activity leaves you too breathless to hold a conversation.
Sir Chris noted that hybrid working means 'quite a lot of people could very easily do very little, other than be at their home,' whereas previously people would routinely go to work, which often involved some physical activity. He also highlighted online shopping as another example where people can stay put instead of going out to shops and carrying their weekly shop home, which he described as a resistance activity.
Build muscle from your 40s
Sir Chris urged people to start exercising from their 40s to prepare for their 70s, delaying 'the period when you go into frailty.' He explained that muscle mass begins decreasing around age 50, and maintaining good muscle mass through late middle age leads to better mobility in old age. 'If you actually manage to get a good muscle mass - and keep it through late middle age - you will be in much better shape in old age with mobility, than if you allow it to essentially wither away,' he said.
He advised tackling exercise in three 'enjoyable' ways: dancing, running, or playing sports. 'One-off activity is very easy to start and then not continue but if it is enjoyable, useful, or you can build it in, people can maintain it over long periods,' he added. Simple changes like taking the stairs instead of the lift can also help.
Sir Chris's own routine
Sir Chris, who also practices as a doctor at University College London Hospitals and is a visiting professor at Gresham College, shared his own activity habits. 'I'm much better at this when I'm working in the hospital because I cycle in - which is an ideal kind of thing to do. Day-to-day I walk whenever I can. In terms of leisure, I really enjoy walking, I sometimes go kayaking, walking in the hills is one of my things I enjoy. It's really to do with the things we enjoy most,' he said.
The update is the first revision of the national guidelines in seven years, since the Covid pandemic. It stresses the importance of breaking up prolonged sitting and including strength exercises, particularly for people on weight loss drugs, and balance exercises.
