Westfield Health has teamed up with Carol Vorderman to encourage the nation to take a walking lunch this may, for Living Streets' National Walking Lunch Month.

Research shows that almost four in 10 Brits spend their lunch break eating at their desks.

The health and wellbeing company's findings also reveal that more than one in 10 skip their break altogether, despite over 40 per cent saying they could fit a 20-minute walk into their break.

The campaign invites people to take 20 minutes or more out of their lunch breaks to walk during Living street's National Walking Month, in May.

Westfield Health say that just 20 minutes of walking per day can improve physical and mental wellbeing, helping prevent obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes as well as combat stress.

Teams and individuals are encouraged to sign up and log their lunch time steps throughout the month, and there are prizes available for the most active.

Prizes include £1,000 for an office wellbeing initiative, fitness trackers and vouchers to spend on walking gear.

To encourage more people to explore their surroundings on foot, Westfield Health and Living Streets are sponsoring the Crumbs City Trails app, which offers walking trails in cities across the UK.

Carol Vorderman, Walking Lunch ambassador, said: "We are so lucky, our cities are full of hidden treasures, nuggets of history and information that you might otherwise miss if you didn’t know they were there and you’ll definitely miss if you’re sitting at your desk all day.

“I walk six or seven miles around my home city of Bristol every day.

"So I tried out one of the trails and even though I know a lot about the city already I learned even more about the architecture, the city walls and one of my favourite places, St Nicholas Market, which I didn’t realise was founded in 1743."

Professor Rob Copeland, professor of physical activity and health at the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, said: "We know that inactivity is a significant issue in our modern lifestyles, and that people just don’t feel they have enough time.

"But what is interesting about these research results is the motivations behind what will make people get on their feet.

"The social factors, having people to walk with, and seeing other people around you be more active, show that campaigns like Walking Lunch can work.”