November 28, 2012 | Pippa

I’m very aware of how inactive I am, so I was alarmed to learn that lack of exercise now causes more deaths than smoking.

A new report by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence says that to stay healthy we should walk or cycle for journeys that take less than 20 minutes.

Six in ten of us aren’t active enough – not surprising given that the average person only walks or cycles for 11 minutes a day. I don’t know about you, but it’s enough to scare me into doing more exercise.