Brits grapple to maintain healthy habits
As the clocks go back and the days shorten, new research from Vitality Health Insurance reveals that over a quarter (26%) of Brits* are walking less than ever before. With colder and shorter days ahead, many are finding it harder to stay active, with 18% admitting they feel unmotivated to venture outside during colder months.
Juggling time commitments and energy levels, especially with shorter days, means that many are struggling to find the time (16%) or energy after work (11%) to fit walking into their day. In fact, one in ten (10%) say the furthest they walk on an average day is from one room to another, despite the proven health benefits of getting your steps in.
Furthermore, over a tenth (11%) of Brits walk fewer than 1,000 steps per day, while nearly two thirds (58%) fail to reach the national recommended step count of 10,000 steps a day**.
The decline in walking habits is not limited to individuals—families are also struggling to get out for walks together. 15% admit they never walk with their loved ones, while 57% wish they did more.
This is especially true among the over-55s, where 21% never participate in family walks at all, despite over three quarters (77%) of those who do reporting this to have a positive impact on their mental and physical health. And it’s helping family relations too, with nearly half (46%) saying that walking together helps reduce household tensions and open up difficult conversations.
However, it’s more than just our health and relationships that can benefit from walking. Over half (54%) of Brits who walk say it improves their mood and mental health and 62% say it has had a positive impact on their physical health. In fact, Vitality’s recent Habit Index found that walking 5,000 steps***three times a week can add up to three years to life expectancy.
Increasing your weekly steps can also help Brits create healthier habits, positively impacting everything from nutrition to mental wellbeing and sleep. For example, Vitality data shows that individuals who walk 7,500 steps or more at least five times a week are 3.5 times more likely to buy healthy food, more than twice as likely to get annual health checks, and 3.2 times more likely to use Headspace for mental health management, compared to those who do so two or fewer times per week.
Yetunde Bankole, Lead Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach, Vitality gives her tips to help Brits find the motivation to get outside for a walk this winter
“While it’s natural for our routines to change over time, it’s important to make walking a daily habit, as regardless of the season even a short walk provides incredible benefits to our physical and mental health. Walking is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to improve wellbeing—whether it’s reducing stress, improving sleep, or fostering closer family or community connections.
At Vitality, we’re committed to helping families rediscover the joys and benefits of walking and want to help show how taking small lifestyle changes and increasing your steps each week, can make a significant impact to overall health.”
Notes to editors
*Brits refers to British people who are able to walk
** The national average refers to 10,000 steps a day
*** Data taken from the Vitality Habits Index
Research was conducted by Opinium by 2,000 UK respondents aged 18+, in September 2024.