Pensioners and people in high-risk health groups will soon be able to get fitness classes by prescription.

Health secretary Alan Milburn on Thursday announced a scheme to allow pensioners and people at risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease to get exercise such as swimming, aerobics and weight training on the national health service.

New guidance is being sent out to every GP in the country outlining what exercise they could prescribe for patients or advise them to take in a bid to reduce the UK's increasing rates of illnesses such as heart disease.

Milburn joined in an exercise referral session with diabetes sufferers at the Sobell Centre in north London to highlight the announcement.

People able to benefit from the scheme will be those at risk from heart disease, hypertension, obesity, chronic low-back pain and diabetes.

Milburn said: "In the end prevention is better than cure. if we can help people do more physical exercise - especially when they are at risk of illness or recovering from it - we can cut the number of deaths from conditions like heart disease and stroke. This is not about telling people to take more exercise. It is about helping people to do it."

Sports secretary Chris Smith gave his department's backing to the initiative saying it would form a part of the government's sports strategy.

"We are concerned that too few people take part in sports and leisure activities that can benefit their health. This is particularly true among older people, who find it harder to find the time, or who don't place a high value on regular physical activity."