NOTES

Physical Activity (PA) Recommendations/Guidelines

A lifestyle based on good choices and health practices maximizes the quality of
life. It helps you avoid diseases, remain strong and fit and maintain your physical and
mental health. One of the most important practices is being physically active.
We can become physically fit through exercise, which is a type of physical
activity consisting of planned, structured and repetitive bodily movement (CDC, 1985).
This means that physical fitness is a measurable set of characteristics that is
determined by our exercise habits (American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, 2010)
People of all ages benefit from regular physical activity. Significant health
benefits can be obtained by engaging in moderate amounts of physical activity on most
if not all days of the week. Through a modest increase in daily activity, most individuals
can improve their health and quality of life. Additional health benefits can be gained
through greater amounts of physical activity. Individuals who can maintain a regular
regimen of a more vigorous or a longer duration activity are likely to obtain even greater
benefits.
There are major new exercise guidelines announces outlining the amount of
exercise adults and children need to do to stay healthy. They are based on a
comprehensive review of the latest scientific evidence regarding physical activity and
health.

The new guidelines include the following points:

1. The intensity at which we exercise is key and light activity such as strolling, and
housework is unlikely to have much positive impact on the health of most people.
For aerobic exercise to be beneficial it must raise your heartbeat and make you
sweat.
2. The more exercise you do, the better. Everyone should do a minimum of 150
minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise but that really is the
minimum for health benefits. If you can go beyond 150 minutes, you’ll gain even
more health benefits.
 3. Sedentary time (time spent sitting down to watch TV, use a computer, read or
listen to music) is bad for your health, even for those who are achieving 150
minutes of exercise a week.

Recommendations and Guidelines

The amount of exercise you need to do each week depends on your age.

Moderate Vigorous Very Vigorous Muscle

Intensity Intensity Activities Strengthening
Activities

Adults (19-64 1. lifting heavy 1. carrying

years old) 1. brisk walking 1. jogging or weights heavy shopping
2. water running 2. circuit bags
Adults should: aerobics 2. swimming training 2. yoga
1. aim to be 3. riding a bike fast 3. sprinting up 3. pilates
physically 4. dancing 3. riding a bike hills 4. tai-chi
active every 5. doubles fast or on hills 4. interval 5. lifting weights
day. Any tennis 4. walking up running 6. working with
activity is better 6. pushing a the stairs 5. running up resistance
than none, and lawn mower 5. sports like stairs bands
more is better 7. hiking football, rugby, 6. spinning 7. doing
still 8. netball, and exercises that
classes
2. do hockey use your own
rollerblading
strengthening 6. skipping body weight,
activities that rope such as push-
work all the 7. aerobics ups and sit-ups
major muscles 8. gymnastics 8. heavy
(legs, hips, 9. martial arts gardening such
back, abdomen, as digging and
chest, shoveling
shoulders, and 9. wheeling a
arms) on at wheelchair
least 2 days a 10. lifting and
week
carrying
3. do at least
150 minutes of children
moderate
intensity activity
a week or 75
minutes of
vigorous
intensity activity
a week.
4. reduce time
spent sitting or
lying down and
break up long
periods of not
moving with
some activity
Older adults 1. getting up to 1. brisk walking 1. jogging or 1. carrying
make a cup of 2. water running heavy shopping
(65 and over)
tea aerobics 2. aerobics bags
Adults aged 65 2. moving 3. riding a bike 3. swimming 2. yoga
and over around your 4. dancing fast 3. Pilates
should: home 5. double 4. riding a bike 4. tai-chi
1. aim to be 3. walking at a tennis fast or on hills 5. lifting weights
physically slow pace 6. pushing a 5. singles 6. working with
active every 4. cleaning and lawn mower tennis resistance
day. Any dusting 7. hiking 6. football bands
activity is better 4. vacuuming 7. hiking uphill 7. doing
than none. The 5. making the 8. energetic exercise that
more you do bed dancing use your own
the better even 6. standing up 9. martial arts body weight,
if it is just light such as push-
activity ups and sit-ups
2. do activities 8. heavy
that improve
gardening such
strength,
balance, and as digging and
flexibility on at
shoveling
least 2 days a
week
3. do at least
150minutes of
moderate
intensity activity
a week or 75
minutes of
vigorous
intensity activity
if you are
already active
or a
combination of
both
4. reduce time
spent sitting or
lying down and
break up long
periods of not
moving with
some activity.
Young people 1. walking to 1. walking 1. gymnastics
(5-18 years school 2. running 2. rock
old) 2. playground 3. games such climbing
activities as tug of war 3. football
1. aim for an 3. riding a 4. skipping with 4. basketball
average of at scooter a rope 5. tennis
least 60 4. 5. swinging on 6. dance
minutes of skateboarding playground 7. resistance
moderate 5. rollerblading equipment bar exercises with
intensity 6. walking the 6. gymnastics exercise
physical activity dog 7. climbing bands, weight
a day across 7. cycling on 8. sit-ups, machines or
the week press-ups, and handheld
level ground or
2. Take part in other similar weights
a variety of ground with few exercises 8. aerobics
types and 9. basketball 9. running
hills
intensities of 10. dance 10. netball
physical activity 11. football 11. hockey
across the 12. rugby 12. badminton
week to 13. tennis 13. skipping
develop with a rope
movement 14. martial arts
skills, muscles, 15.
and bones
sit-ups/press-
3. reduce the
ups and other
time spent
similar
sitting or lying
exercises
down and break
up long periods
of not moving
with some
activity. Aim to
spread activity
throughout the
day. All
activities should
make you
breathe faster
and feel
warmer
Early Childhood Toddlers (1-2) Pre-schoolers Physical
They should be (3-4) Activity for
(under five
physically They should children under
years old) active everyday spend at least 5
for at least 180 180 minutes (3 1. tummy time
minutes (3 hours) a day 2. playing with
Babies under hours). The doing a variety blocks and
one year more the better. of physical other objects
They should be This should be activities 3. messy play
encouraged to spread spread 4. jumping
be active throughout the throughout the 5. walking
throughout the day including day including 6. dancing
day, everyday playing active and 7. swimming
in a variety of outdoors. outdoor play. 8. playground
ways including Light Activity The more the activities
crawling. such as better. 9. climbing
Try to include at standing up, The 180 10. skip
moving around, 11. Active play,
least 30 minutes should
rolling, and like hide and
minutes of playing as well include at least seek
as skipping, 12. throwing
tummy time 60 minutes of
hopping, and catching
spread running, and moderate to 13. scooting
jumping. 14. riding a
throughout the vigorous
Active play bike
day when they intensity 15. outdoor
such as using a
activities
are awake physical
climbing frame, 16. skipping/
activity.
riding a bike,
playing in
water, chasing
 games and ball
games is the
best way for
this age group
to get moving.

Source: <https://www.nhs.uk/news/lifestyle-and-exercise/major-new-exercise-
guidelines-announced/>

Participation in regular moderate physical activity can lead to improved physical

fitness. It is a condition whereby the systems of the body are able to function at their
optimal efficiency, associated with an individual’s ability to work effectively, to enjoy
leisure time, to be healthy, to resist disease and to respond easily to emergency
situations.