ADULTS in Oxfordshire are being encouraged to incorporate brisk walking into their days as a way to improve their general health and wellbeing.

As part of a push to get adults across the south east doing more physical activity each day, Public Health England (PHE) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) have urged people to increase the intensity of their walking, rather than just focus on the distance or number of steps.

To help people get active PHE has developed the 'Active 10’ app which combines intensity and time, rather than just distance.

Angela Baker, deputy director for health and wellbeing at PHE South East said: “Juggling the pressures of everyday life can mean that exercise often takes a back seat, but building a brisk walk into your daily life is a simple way to get more active.

“Taking a brisk 10 minute walk to get your heart pumping is one of the best ways to improve mood, and lower the risk of serious health issues like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

"The Active 10 app helps to keep the focus on the intensity of your walk, rather than just the number of steps taken.”

According to a new PHE survey, 92 per cent of adults in the south east say they walk more than 10 minutes per day, however this drops to just over half (54 per cent) who say they walk briskly for this amount of time, which is key to improving fitness.

People can download the Active 10 app from the iTunes app store (for iOS), Google Play store (for Android).