Now GPs will check up on your gym time

Patients will be questioned by their GPs on the amount of exercise they do as part of a drive by the Government to improve the health of the nation.

Part of a new package of measures is a questionnaire on how much formal exercise such as jogging or gym workouts patients do as well as cycling to work, walking, housework and gardening.

The record, which includes if a patient has an active job, should be updated at least every five years, a report said.

The questionnaire will help doctors categorise patients on an index of inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active or active.

Other measures include exercise on prescription, motivational talks and group activity to improve fitness in order to keep people healthier for longer and stave off illnesses such as heart disease.

Pilot schemes have found that action to improve fitness levels is cost effective for the NHS because of illness prevention.

Free swimming, street dance, senior leisure weeks and mentoring were all tried in the pilots.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson recommends that to remain healthy, adults should do 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five times a week. That could be three short brisk walks of 10 minutes each day.

Public health minister Caroline Flint said: "As part of my role to help increase the nation's fitness, I am championing a host of different measures such as local exercise action pilots and the GP physical activity questionnaire which make it easier for people to become more physically active.

"It is very promising to see many of the pilots have been able to increase participants' activity levels, particularly in sedentary and lightly active groups," she said.

"Almost three quarters of adults do not achieve the recommended weekly amounts of physical activity. This is worrying as keeping physically active helps to prevent and manage more than 20 conditions and diseases such as coronary heart disease and cancer, so it is vital that we do everything we can to support people to adopt more active lifestyles.

"A fitter nation means a healthier nation which will produce real savings for the NHS."

The move is part of the Government's offensive to tackle the obesity epidemic but critics said it smacks of a nanny state.

• Too much exercise can kill

It also interferes with the autonomy of the family doctor as it suggests phrases and questions GPs should use when raising the subject of exercise.

Experts have warned that unless obesity can be brought under control the NHS will not be able to cope with the numbers of patients suffering diabetes, heart disease and cancer.