MOST people are aware that keeping active is essential to maintaining a healthy body, yet 1.6million people in the South West fail to exercise on a regular basis.

This is according to statistics from the British Heart Foundation (BHF), who hope to motivate people in South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire to get moving to reduce their risk of heart disease.

The heart charity are calling on people to take part in a MyMarathon challenge, which involves completing 26.2 miles over a period of time.

Although marathons are usually completed in one go, the BHF challenge allows participants to complete the 26.2 mile distance at their own pace over several days, weeks or months.

People can choose to be sponsored during the challenge, in order to raise funds for lifesaving research into heart disease.

A spokesman for the BHF said: “More than 30,000 people of all fitness levels took part in MyMarathon last year, raising over £1million for the BHF’s life saving heart research.

“Why not take on the challenge this May and help give your physical activity a boost?

“Every pound raised could help us accelerate the right against heart disease, and make a real difference the people that are living with its burden.”

In the UK alone, physical inactivity causes one in 10 premature deaths from coronary heart disease, and one in six deaths overall, according to the BHF.

Visit the BHF website to find out more information about heart disease and how to sign up to the MyMarathon.