Britons were officially advised yesterday to vacuum, DIY and swim their way to better health, as the government tried to revamp an eight-year-old message that adults should do a minimum of 30-minutes of moderate exercise, five days in every week.

Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, said there had to be "a change in direction in our society", as he appealed to the public to heed the warnings about growing incidences of obesity and diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Doing regular household chores may contribute to keeping off weight, but a little light dusting will not be sufficient.

Up to two-thirds of men and three-quarters of women fail to meet the 30-minute goal, but Sir Liam's 112-page report made clear that many adults would need to do more.

Those who do not eat a balanced diet should do 45-60 minutes, while people who have been obese may need to exercise for up to 90 minutes to avoid regaining weight.

Sir Liam said the exercise could be broken up into 10-minute chunks, provided that the activity raised breathing and heart rates and made people feel a little warm, even sweaty, on hot or humid days.

For children and younger people an hour a day's moderate exercise was the minimum, said Sir Liam's report.

The guidance, which fits in with an increased determination by ministers to make people more responsible for their health, emphasised everyday activities rather than a gym culture, but it led to claims that the government was not doing enough to improve access to facilities such as tennis courts, swimming pools and public parks, or providing safe places to cycle.

Sir Liam, who rides an exercise bike at home, said the government was not relying on exhortation alone, and that the departments of education, transport, sports and health were cooperating on a public health white paper to be published this autumn.

"We cannot expect the whole population to become super-athletes, but the point of the report is to get on the move and move away from very, very low levels of activity to taking at least some form of moderate exercise," he said.

"It is not about spending hours and hours in the gym, but it is about finding ways to build activities into our daily lives."

Inactivity and obesity are thought to cost Britain more than £10bn a year in the direct costs of treatment and indirect costs through sickness absence.

Sir Liam said: "Adults who are physically active reduce their risk of developing major chronic disease, such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, by up to half, and the risk of early death by about 20%-30%. This report must be the wake-up call that changes attitudes to active lifestyles in every household."

The 30-minutes of exercise message was originally promulgated in 1996, but attention was on issues such as shortages of playing fields and the decline of school sport.

The idea that the exercise can be taken in short chunks is newer, but policy advisers insist that it is backed up by evidence. The words "at least" have also been added to the 30-minutes warning.

The advice was broadly welcomed yesterday, but Felicity Porritt, director of the group Move4Health, said that the government should provide adequate resources and partnerships with the voluntary sector to change behaviour.

Neera Sharma of Barnardo's, the children's charity, said that more than 25% of children lived in poor families which could not afford a healthy diet, let alone leisure activities. She called on the government to put pressure on leisure providers to make their facilities affordable for all.

The health club LivingWell called on the government to drop VAT on health club memberships before a "fit tax" was levied.

Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, said the government was commited to sports at the grassroot level. "New facilities are springing up everywhere thanks to the money we are putting into sport," she said.

The Liberal Democrats said there were "too many reports and too little action."

Paul Burstow, the party's health spokesman, said: "The government must not mislead the public by pretending that tackling obesity is simply about taking a little more exercise."