Eddie Phillips

The discussion is usually about, ‘Could you walk a little more, a little faster, a little more frequently. From there I would start asking what you like to do . . . get outside, be involved in a competition, do ballroom dancing? the exact type of exercise is actually not that important and more to do with what you find enjoyable.

It is a valid criticism to say we have not convinced the public to walk more appreciably, and those recommendations will remain, but if we can now recommend to patients that, ‘Gees, if you just get up out of your chair when the commercial comes on or drink more water and have to go to the bathroom,’ even that is enough to break up the prolonged sedentary bouts they describe in the research.