Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Ms Bairbre de Brún, has stressed the important role of physical activity in promoting good health.

Speaking after publication of the headline results from the 2001 Health and Social Wellbeing Survey, the Minister said: “Most of us do not take enough exercise to protect or improve our health yet physical activity is just as important for good health as stopping smoking.”

The Survey found that approximately one quarter of both men and women here are sedentary. Young women aged 16-24 were almost twice as likely to be sedentary as young men whereas men aged 35-44 were more likely to be sedentary than women.

The Minister stressed: “It is very important to reinforce the message that exercise need not involve participating in sporting activities or spending long hours in the gym. The key for all of us is to explore ways in which we can turn some of our everyday tasks into regular activity. Just 30 minutes a day on most days of the week could really improve our health. Plenty of routine activities can be counted as physical activity such as brisk walking, washing the car, gardening or even dancing.”

The elderly are considerably more likely to be sedentary than the young. 63 per cent of people aged 75 and over were sedentary in comparison to only 11 per cent of 16-24 year olds.

On a more positive note, 28 per cent of respondents take the recommended level of physical activity of at least 30 minutes per day on five days a week. The proportion of men aged 16-24 taking above the recommended level of physical activity was 38 per cent although this fell to 15 per cent in the over 75 age group. The comparable figures for women were 27 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. (CD)