Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. It can include anything from walking and gardening to recreational sport.
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week.
Ideally, you should try to do something every day, preferably in bouts of 10 minutes of activity or more.
One way of achieving 150 minutes of activity is to do 30 minutes on at least five days a week.
Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities include:
- walking fast
- water aerobics
- riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
- playing doubles tennis
- pushing a lawn mower
Daily chores such as shopping, cooking or housework don't count towards your 150 minutes, because the effort isn’t hard enough to raise your heart rate, although they do help break up sedentary time.
In addition to your 150 minutes target, try to do some activities that work your muscles. This can include:
- weight training
- carrying heavy loads
- heavy gardening
As well as regular physical activity, try to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down during the day. This means avoiding long periods of TV viewing, computer use, driving, and sitting to read, talk or listen to music. Find out why sitting is bad for you.
Getting started
What you do will depend on your own circumstances, but as a guiding principle, it's a good idea to do activities that you enjoy.
If you're already active, you may find it useful to know that 75 minutes of vigorous activity over a week is as beneficial as 150 minutes of moderate activity.
Research shows that it’s never too late to adopt and reap the health benefits from a more active lifestyle. For example, older adults who are active will reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke to a similar level as younger people who are active.
If you've been inactive for a while, you can build up your activity gradually to reach recommended levels. You'll still be improving your health in the process, and you'll reduce your risk of falls and other ailments.
"The biggest benefits come to those who start from scratch," says Dr Cavill. "It’s moving from a sedentary lifestyle to a moderately active one that makes the biggest difference to your health. The more you do, the greater the health benefits."
Click on the links below for more ideas on raising your activity levels:
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