30166-26MUM Emma Langley took a clean sweep of her health after regaining her figure doing housework.

And now she is urging others to get off their bottoms and on to their feet to protect their health.

Mother-of-one Emma, 28, of Kingshill, weighed 13 stone after she gave birth to her daughter, Rosie, three-and-a-half years ago.

A year later she started working for cleaning company Rainbow International and saw immediate health benefits.

Emma said: "It was amazing how quickly I began to lose more weight. I had got down to 11 stone just from running around after Rosie, but within a matter of weeks of starting my cleaning job I noticed more weight coming off.

"It was a physically demanding job. After three months I had lost a stone. If you want to make sure the carpet's clean you don't just softly push a vacuum around. You build up a sweat and it's great exercise."

And Emma's health success is just what the doctor, and the Government, has ordered. Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said England's couch potato culture was costing the country more than £10 billion a year.

His report At Least Five A Week recommends adults take at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, and children 60 minutes every day.

He said this did not mean taking up strenuous workout programmes, but daily short bouts of activity, such as vacuuming or mowing the lawn, could contribute to the overall total.

And Emma agrees. She said: "It is easier than people think to get exercise each day.

"It's a very sad situation if people can't spare 30 minutes to go for a walk.

"People should get off their bums for the sake of their health."

Swindon Primary Care Trust is already leading the way with Swindon Council with a raft of get-active measures.

A dog library is one idea that has been mooted to improve health in the town. People without a dog would be able to borrow one to take on walks.

Jane Leaman, PCT public health director, welcomed the latest white paper, saying it was yet another way to raise the profile of the obesity conundrum in Britain.

She said: "It is all about persuading people that getting active doesn't have to mean a gym member- ship, trendy get fit gear or even jogging. It can be any activity that raises your heartbeat and gets you going."

Almost a quarter of cardiovas-cular disease and a fifth of colon cancer cases are caused by physical inactivity.

The report claimed taking more physical exercise reduced risk of premature death by a third and cut the risk of colon cancer by up to a half.

Alex Emery