IF REDUCING the risk of developing long-term heart conditions is not enough a motivation to get couch potatoes exercising, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has now revealed inactivity is costing East Lancashire’s health services around £10.25million every year.

Blackburn with Darwen is responsible for £3.2 million of those costs, while care expenses for treating people with long-term conditions, due to a lack of exercise, amount to £1.5 million in Hyndburn and £1.7 million in Pendle, according to the charity’s latest statistics.

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In Burnley the cost of care is over £1.5 million, in the Ribble Valley it is nearly £1.1 million, and £1.25 million in Rossendale.

The charity has warned that a lack of exercise is contributing to more cases of coronary heart disease, which costs the NHS £542 million nationally every year. But even small amounts of physical activity can reduce the risk.

Catherine Kelly, the charity’s prevention, survival and support director, said: “It is staggering the amount of money that inactivity is costing health services in East Lancashire every year.

“BHF research has shown that even making small, more active changes to your daily routine can improve your heart health.

“If we are to ease the burden of this country’s eye-watering physical inactivity costs then people need to take action to improve their health.”

Jackie Hanson, chief nurse at NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Being inactive is as bad for a person’s health as smoking, drinking too much alcohol and being overweight, but it can be worse as the damage is not always visible.

“Just going for a walk in the park or putting some music on and having a dance can be beneficial.”

The CCG offers numerous schemes to promote healthier lifestyles including exercise on prescription and several get active community projects through a Prescription for Wellbeing scheme.

Ms Hanson said: “The main goal of prescribing for wellbeing is to promote better patient outcomes.”

National guidelines recommend adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week.

Phil Riley, 28, a personal trainer at Lifestyle Fitness in Burnley, said: “There are so many health benefits from exercising, from reducing blood pressure to combating obesity and boosting self-esteem.”