A new report has stated that if everyone, in England alone, walked for the recommended 150 minutes every week it could help save 37,000 lives each year.
The reports also stated that it could help prevent 6,700 cases of breast cancer, stop 4,700 people getting colorectal cancer and can lead to nearly 300,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes.
Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, told the BBC that for cancer patients, physical activity could help manage some debilitating consequences of treatment and can even help cut the chance of some cancers returning.
He said that inactivity is a nationwide epidemic that must be tackled before it gets too late.
