The UK is the third laziest country in Europe, following Serbia and Malta, according to a paper in the Lancet. The research shows that 63% of people in the UK do not take the recommended minimum level of exercise.

Everyone knows that fitness is an integral part of staying healthy, but how active you are matters a surprising amount. A report last year by the UK's chief medical officers said that physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for dying prematurely.

Being active reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, depression, colon cancer – and even the risk of breaking a hip later in life. So instead of watching the Olympics on the television (most of us watch the box for around three hours a day), shouldn't we be going for a run?

The solution

Government guidelines stress that gardening and ironing constitute exercise, but while moderate exercise counts, if you do more high-intensity activities, such as aerobics or playing a sport, you can get even more benefit.

Exercise has far less effect on shedding pounds than restricting calories does. However, once you have lost weight, keeping up your exercise regime will help to maintain the weight loss.

The amount of activity required to be healthy is not insignificant. You need to do a total of two-and-a-half hours a week (or five x 30 minutes) of moderate intensity, where you breathe faster, get warm and feel your heart beating quickly. Fortunately, the evidence shows that doing 10-minute blocks of moderate-to-vigorous activity also works. If you are doing vigorous activity, then 75 minutes a week will do - but ideally you should be active every day. You are more likely to stay fit if it is part of your everyday life, for example walking or cycling to work.

It is not just adults who need to take exercise. As soon as your child can walk, they should also be encouraged to run, skip and jump. There is some evidence that under-fives spend so much time restrained in cars and buggies that they are at risk of being unfit or overweight before school age.

Between the ages of five and 18, research suggests an hour of exercise a day is needed – anathema to most teenagers. But exercise at this age promotes strong bones and muscles and reduces the risk of being overweight.

There is no rest for the over-65s in government guidelines: they, too, are advised to do two-and-a-half hours of moderate activity a week. This level reduces the risk of falls and lowers the loss in bone density and muscle tone associated with getting older.

So make sure you are inspired by the sport on the telly – get out and do some yourself on a regular basis.