30 residents of a later living village, in Exeter, Devon, have clocked up an average of 8,109 steps a day during the initial pilot period – more than double that of the average Briton, which stands at 3,000-4,000 steps a day, with a combined distance of over 3,500 miles – the equivalent of walking to Toronto.

Inspired Village has teamed up with ukactive, digital wellness specialists hero and Oomph! to improve the physical, social and mental wellbeing of residents around the UK, with residents of one Inspired village already clocking up more then 7 million steps in the space of just six weeks.

A ’Wellbeing Navigator’ has also been employed as part of the pilot scheme at Millbrook Village.

Nigel and Pauline Epps are among Millbrook’s residents who have been wearing Fitbits as part of the scheme.

“The initiative has transformed our approach to mobility and subsequently improved our quality of life,” said resident Nigel Epps. “[My wife and I] averaged more than 10,000 steps a day.”

Jamie Bunce, Director of Inspired Villages, said: “Health and wellbeing are embedded in our culture, which is why we’re committed to helping our residents to live happy, healthy and active lives. It’s wonderful to see that this latest initiative has improved the quality of their lives.”

Prior to the launch of this initiative, hero carried out a digital ‘wellness survey’ of Inspired Villages’ residents to understand the needs, wants and issues facing the community.

The Inspired Villages initiative aims to use physical activity to improve the overall quality of life for residents by helping to reduce loneliness and isolation too, which are recognised by the government as growing challenges.

Joe Gaunt, hero’s Founder and CEO, said: “It’s great to see Inspired Villages taking the lead and proactively managing wellness in this innovative way. Our role has been to encourage and educate residents in a bid to proactively manage all aspects of health and wellness.

“We’ve also provided support to the busy schedule of community events such as nutrition-led cookery classes and group fitness sessions. It’s an incredibly exciting project and the results really do speak for themselves.

“Using the hero platform enabled this trial to be about more than just activity but also promoting connected communities, enhancing wellness and mindfulness.”