Less than half of primary school children in Ireland are receiving enough physical activity.

The Royal College of Physicians is issuing a report today showing that even mild forms of exercise can reduce depression, cut the risk of heart disease along with cancers and other diseases.

Doctors and healthcare professionals are being encouraged to “prescribe” exercise to more people as the health benefits are endless.

Doctor Niamh Daly has said that it does not have to be expensive to exercise.

“Irish people are not exercising enough – our children aren’t exercising enough, and our adults aren’t exercising enough,” she said.

“And we know that all the health benefits are so wonderful, that we need to start improving our physical activity level.

“And it doesn’t mean that everybody has to go out and do exercise classes and pay for classes – it just means put on a pair of runners, exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week if you can.”