The average person in the UK spends 17 years of their life on the sofa - which is why an animated video has been made to encourage people in Norfolk to get more active.

The film, made by Active Norfolk and Norfolk County Council's public health team, highlights how just 150 minutes of exercise a week can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by up to 30pc and the risk of stroke by 31pc.

Physical inactivity costs the NHS £15m a year in Norfolk, and currently 27pc of Norfolk residents do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week.

Physical inactivity is one of the biggest causes of illness and death across the country, surpassing illnesses arising from poor diet, cigarettes, alcohol, drugs and stress combined.

Active Norfolk director Ben Jones said: 'Active Norfolk is extremely pleased to launch '150 Minutes' in collaboration with Norfolk County Council's Public Health. Promoting the positive message of building regular physical activity into one's lifestyle is vital if we are to be successful in supporting Norfolk residents to live longer and enjoy healthier lives.

'This is a fun way to spread the word and let people know where to go if they would like some help on their own journey to leading an active and healthy life.'

The animation helps viewers break down their day between work, sleeping, and down time. Looking at physical activity in a time-frame of minutes rather than hours can make meeting the recommended guidelines easier to digest.

With the average person in the UK racking up 17 years of their lifetime on the sofa – seven years of which are spent watching television – setting aside 150 minutes a week does not sound so bad.

The animation is available for all health and physical activity stakeholders to use to promote sport and physical activity in Norfolk.