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Why be active?

• Physical activity not only contributes to well-being but is also essential for good health

• If you are physically active you reduce your risk of developing major diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, depression and some cancers. Physical activity can also help with the prevention, treatment and management of obesity.

• Regular exercise will help you keep fit, help you relax, give you more energy and is fun.

To maintain a healthy weight, we need to both eat well and move more. Many families are making changes that will help them live healthier and longer. Visit www.nhs.uk/Change4life or call 0300 123 4747 for more information. Organisations and small clubs who want to be involved should call 0300 123 3434.

Health care professionals can order Change4Life evidence-based support materials online from the Department of Health publications orderline, (enter Change4Life in the keyword search option) or by telephone on 0300 123 1002.

How to be active – Top tips

• Build activity and exercise into your every day life

• Walk briskly

• Use the stairs instead of the lift

• Put a little more effort into gardening or housework

• Walk to the shops

• Get off the bus a stop earlier and walk part of your journey

• Try something new such as dancing and Tai Chi

• Take up cycling to work of for the whole family

• Join a walking group in your local area

• Choose activities that you enjoy and you will be more likely to continue doing them

• See Just for Me - how to build exercise into your day your way.

What is moderate activity?

• An increase in breathing but not to the extent that you cannot speak.

• An increase in heart beat, where you will be able to feel your pulse.

• Feeling warmer.

How much activity?

EARLY YEARS (under 5s)

• Physical activity should be encouraged from birth, particularly through floor-based play and water-based activities in safe environments.

• Children of pre-school age who are capable of walking unaided should be physically active daily for at least 180 minutes (3 hours), spread throughout the day.

• All under 5s should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (being restrained or sitting) for extended periods (except time spent sleeping).

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE (5–18 years)

• All children and young people should engage in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day.

• Vigorous intensity activities, including those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least three days a week.

• All children and young people should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

ADULTS (19–64 years)

• Adults should aim to be active daily.  Weekly activity should add up to at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of moderate intensity activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more – one way to approach this is to do 30 minutes on at least 5 days a week.

• Alternatively, comparable benefits can be achieved through 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity spread across the week or a combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activity.

• Adults should also undertake physical activity to improve muscle strength on at least two days a week.

• All adults should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

OLDER ADULTS (65+ years)

• Older adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits, including maintenance of good physical and cognitive function.  Some physical activity is better than none, and more physical activity provides greater health benefits.

• Older adults should aim to be active daily.  Weekly, activity should add up to at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of moderate intensity activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more – one way to approach this is to do 30 minutes on at least 5 days a week.

• For those who are already regularly active at moderate intensity, comparable benefits can be achieved through 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity spread across the week or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.

• Older adults should also undertake physical activity to improve muscle strength on at least two days a week.

• Older adults at risk of falls should incorporate physical activity to improve balance and co-ordination on at least two days a week.

• All older adults should minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary (sitting) for extended periods.

• Older people should take particular care to keep moving and retain their mobility through daily activity.

• Choice of activities should be made in the light of an older person’s functional limitations and symptoms of diseases.

• Regular walking remains extremely important for the maintenance of independence and activities of daily living.

• Low to moderate intensity activity can produce a health benefit for older people, possibly because of their relatively lower fitness levels.  (Due to the aging process, older people have a reduced cardio-respiratory and muscle function, so the absolute intensity of activities for older people can be lower than it is for younger adults.)

• As there is a greater risk of injury among older people, higher intensity activities, and activities that involve sudden or complicated movements, should be undertaken cautiously, unless the individual is already used to this type of exercise.

• Certain activities, such as frequently going up and down stairs, can aggravate some existing conditions such as osteoarthritis.

• Activity can also prevent age-related weight gain and help with weight loss

Physical activity is a good way of using up extra calories, and helps us to maintain a healthy weight.

In the 2006 ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ White paper, a commitment was made to initially develop three NHS LifeChecks for early years, adolescent and mid-life. NHS LifeCheck is for everyone - through a straightforward questionnaire it provides personalised information and practical advice, supporting people in making small changes that make a big difference to future health and well-being. The Baby LifeCheck is for parents and carers of babies 5-8 months old, the Teen LifeCheck for young people aged between 12 and 15 years and the Mid LifeCheck  for those aged 45-60 years.

Please see the Physical Activity Factsheet for more information.