Sir Chris Whitty warns sitting and WFH are making us 'frail' as he gives sobering update

Sir Chris Whitty warns sitting and WFH are making us 'frail' as he gives sobering update Sir Chris Whitty has revealed he cycles to work and goes kayaking in his spare time — as the Chief Medical Officer calls on Britons to "do things you enjoy" Sir Chris Whitty has warned working from home means more Brits are sitting all day and not getting enough physical activity. England’s Chief Medical Officer unveiled the UK’s new official guidance on the amount and type of exercise we should be doing at a media briefing in central London. The update includes new evidence showing the potentially lifesaving impact of doing a small amount of physical activity for people currently inactive. Sir Chris said he cycles to work and goes kayaking in his spare time as he called on the nation to “find things you enjoy” as well as building movement into our weekly routine. He said societal changes since 2019, like WFH and online shopping, have made it harder to build movement into our everyday lives. Sir Chris said: “I do think it's important people think through, for example, hybrid working. It means quite a lot of people could very easily do very little, other than be at their home. Whereas previously people would be routinely going to work and that often meant at least some physical activity. “Online shopping is another example where people can actually stay put, who previously would have gone out and actually gone to the shops… Carrying your weekly shop home is actually a resistance activity.” Compiled by the Chief Medical Officers of all the UK nations, it is the first time the national guidelines have been updated in seven years since the Covid-19 pandemic. The update stresses the importance of breaking up prolonged periods of sitting, and including exercises for strength - particularly for people on weight loss drugs - and balance. Sir Chris said people should exercise from their 40s for the body they want in their 70s - to delay “the period when you go into frailty”. He added: “Once you get to about 50 your muscle mass is decreasing. “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.” The guidance The guidance confirmed previous advice from 2019 that adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or a combination of both. Moderate exercise includes activities such as a brisk walk or riding a bike while vigorous exercise is anything that leaves you too out of breath to hold a conversation. The update stressed the importance of activities such as walking to the shops, taking the stairs, dancing, gardening, active play and household tasks. It drew on latest evidence showing that the biggest gains in health - such as reduced risk of things like cancer and heart attacks - were seen in people who moved from inactivity to any level of activity. Sir Chris said: “Just how do people do this? The broad answer is they do it in three ways. They do it because it is enjoyable - so going dancing, going people enjoy running, people enjoy playing sport. “They do it because it is useful, that's where active transport comes in. They do it because they build it into their lives, for example taking the stairs rather than the lift. “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.” As well as his role as CMO, Sir Chris is a practising doctor at University College London Hospitals in London and a visiting professor at Gresham College. Asked what he did to build movement into his everyday life, Sir Chris said: “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.”