Heart and circulatory diseases are among the biggest killers in the UK, accounting for around a quarter of all deaths every year.

Major contributing factors to heart disease include issues such as having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

This is because the heart’s blood supply can become blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.

To lower your risk of heart disease, therefore, health bodies will recommend eating a healthy diet, losing weight if needed, giving up smoking and keeping blood pressure low.

They also recommend regular exercise.

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One health body has specifically recommended that even just a 20-minute walk every day could help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In a new scientific statement, published in Circulation journal, the American Heart Association (AHA) said that increasing the amount of exercise people partake in is key for boosting heart health.

The statement emphasised the need to remove barriers to physical activity among groups in the US at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, including adults who are older, female, black, have depression, disabilities or lower socioeconomic status, or live in rural areas.

It found that physical activity levels are often lower in these groups and increasing levels could help lower cardiovascular risks.

In a news release, statement writing committee chairman Gerald Jerome said: “Helping everybody improve their heart health is important,” statement writing committee chair Gerald Jerome said in a news release.

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“We know regular physical activity is a key component of optimal heart health.

“These findings provide an opportunity to focus our efforts on physical activity programs in places where people need them the most.”

The AHA states that adults would be able to meet government guidelines for physical activity levels of 150 minutes a week, with a “simple” 20-minute daily walk.

However, “fewer” than one in four US adults currently meet these guidelines.

The same is true in the UK, with a 2020 survey finding that 27 percent of adults achieve less than 30 minutes of exercise a week, while 11.5 percent were “fairly” active but did not manage 150 minutes a week.

NHS guidelines for exercise also recommend at least 150 minutes a week.

The AHA statement offers suggestions for how to increase physical activity in communities that need it most and it addresses the need for a team approach that includes input from health care professionals.

“Unfortunately, many groups that have a higher risk of developing heart disease also on average report lower amounts of physical activity,” Mr Jerome said.

“There is good news since some programs are focused on collaborating with communities to increase physical activity levels among high-risk groups.”

But Jerome noted that more needs to be done. He added: “More research funding is needed to support communities and researchers working together to develop engaging and sustainable ways that help residents increase their physical activity levels.

“Lawmakers should expand coverage for preventive care and support, such as assessment and programs that promote physical activity in the clinical setting.”