Hoover away those pounds

It is the kind of advice more likely to come from cleaning queens Kim and Aggie than a fitness instructor.

But strange as it may seem, the Government is recommending taking up vacuum cleaning or mowing the lawn as alternatives to joining the gym or playing tennis.

The household tasks are being classed as 'moderate exercise' in a report this week by the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson.

He highlights the couch potato culture which has taken root over the past 20 years as Britons walk less, play less sport and watch more television than ever before, while obesity nears epidemic proportions.

The crisis can apparently be averted, however, if people do more housework.

While Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie, who host Channel 4's How Clean is Your House?, would no doubt approve, some fitness experts reacted with incredulity.

'You'd have to have a really big house for vacuuming to improve your fitness,' said Matt Todman of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, and the Sports and Spinal Clinic in Harley Street. The official advice is to take moderate exercise five days a week - adults for half an hour each day, children under 18 for an hour.

It does not have to be taken in one session, but each burst of activity must last more than ten minutes.

In Sir Liam's report, called Physical Activity and Health, everyday activities have been divided into three categories: light, moderate or vigorous exercise.

Ironing, dusting, washing up and walking slower than 2mph are seen as light exercise and don't count towards the weekly targets.

But vacuuming, cutting the grass and window cleaning are all classed as moderate exercise, alongside doubles tennis, brisk walking (faster than 2mph) and golf.

No household chores make it into the vigorous category, which consists of singles tennis, squash, aerobics, swimming, running and cycling.

Sir Liam's advice may come as a pleasant surprise to those yet to join a gym, but fitness experts were astonished that the Government seemed to be sending out the message that a spot of housework could replace a proper workout. Mr Todman, who called the report 'unbelievable', said: 'Fitness is about getting out of breath and raising your resting heart rate. If people really want to see any improvement, they have to get out and puff.'

Matt Roberts, a leading fitness instructor, said: 'Most of the things on this list are part of people's daily activity anyway, so how will their fitness improve?'

Health Secretary John Reid believes previous drives against obesity have been too concentratedon improving facilities for those already engaged in sport.

Officials say there will be more effort to promote increased activity among those who are not gym members and don't play sports.

'It's about getting people to consider getting off the bus a stop early and walking instead or cycling to work and not taking the car,' one official explained.

Sir Liam's report says that in 1975, Britons walked an average of 250 miles a year. By 2000, it was 189 miles.

Lower fitness levels have been linked not only to the rise in obesity - which cuts life expectancy by an average of nine years - but also to cancer and bone disease.

Exercise is also linked to mental health.

The Royal College of Physicians revealed recently that between 1980 and 2002, the number of obese men shot up from 6 per cent to 22 per cent - more than one in five. For women the figure rose from 8 per cent to 23 per cent.

One in ten primary school children is obese, double the figure of 20 years ago, while teenagers' waistlines are one and a half inches bigger.

Obesity treatments cost the NHS £500million a year.