Bill English shows off 'walk-run' in new Facebook video

Prime Minister Bill English has paced up the hills of the capital for a bit of exercise - and taken the opportunity to post a highly polished video of the experience on Facebook.

The former Finance Minister explained in the video caption that people "often ask what I do in my spare time" - and if you, too, were wondering what he gets up to, here's your answer: he 'walk-runs'.

The phrase, presumably coined by Mr English himself, involves walking on the uphill parts of his journey and running along the flat and downhill bits - all of which is explained in the extremely informative video posted on his Facebook page.

The hill on which he conducts his exercise is located right behind Parliament - Mr English says he can see Stellin Memorial Park "from [his] Beehive window" - and he explains that while it's tough getting to the summit, "it's always worth it for the view".

Addressing the fact that his narration has remained constant while the video clips change in a montage fashion, Mr English then says, "Now you're thinking, is it him?" before turning the camera to show his face.

"Yep, it is."

The clip, which has had 186,000 views and 4300 reactions in 13 hours, is likely another attempt by Mr English's campaign team to address the 'boring' image many branded him with when he first came into office.

Mr English's photo of homemade, spaghetti-based pizzas was a hit on social media earlier this year, and many have noted that he appears to be attempting to come across as more relatable ahead of the 2017 election.

Speaking to More FM's Breakfast with Si and Gary on Thursday morning, Mr English addressed that perception, explaining that he posted the video simply because he thought "it'd be a good idea".

"I ask people for advice and comment, and I ask them about Facebook - and someone said 'Why don't you make a vlog?' I think that's what it's called," he said.

When host Simon Barnett pushed again, saying "whoever is advising you is doing a good job" in relation to the 'relatable' Facebook posts he's been sharing, Mr English refused to accept the comment.

"I just enjoy doing it, actually," he said definitively.

Mr English admitted that he deliberately avoided showing his "skinny white legs" in the video, and also revealed that a follow-up vlog could be a while away.

Newshub.