KEEPING physically active is vital to maintaining a healthy heart.

However, last week we revealed new statistics which showed that 900,000 adults in the North-East are failing to meet the recommended level of physical activity, significantly increasing their risk of heart disease and early death.

In the UK alone, physical inactivity causes one-in-ten premature deaths from coronary heart disease, and one-in-six deaths overall. So it’s never been more important to get your heart pumping.

But getting active doesn’t have to be difficult.

With the British Heart Foundation’s MyMarathon challenge you can complete the 26.2 miles in your own time, whether it’s over four hours, four days or four weeks. Run to work every morning, jog during your lunchbreaks or run laps around the park in the evenings; you decide the place and you decide the pace.

More than 30,000 people of all fitness levels took part in MyMarathon last year, raising more than £1m 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 331,800 people locally that are living with its burden.

You can sign up to MyMarathon by visiting bhf.org.uk/mymarathon where you will find helpful tips and advice on how to get started.

Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation