Benefits of regular physical activity include a reduced risk of: heart
disease, stroke, high blood pressure, bowel cancer, type 2 diabetes,
breast cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity. In addition, many people feel
better in themselves. Regular physical activity helps you to control
your weight, and may help ease stress, anxiety, and depression.
Ideally, you should do at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic physical
activity, at least five days per week. Plus, a couple of sessions of
muscle strengthening activities per week. However, anything is better
than nothing. For example, a daily brisk walk of about two miles is a
realistic goal for many people and can have a big impact on health risk.
What sort of physical activity should adults do, and for how long?
Adults should aim to do a mixture of aerobic activities and muscle-strengthening activities.
Aerobic activities
Aerobic activities are
those that make the heart and lungs work harder. Basically, anything
that makes your heart rate increase, and makes you at least mildly out
of breath. For example: brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling,
dancing, badminton, tennis, etc. You can even use normal activities as
part of your physical activity routine. For example, fairly heavy
housework, DIY, or gardening can make you mildly out of breath and
mildly sweaty. Consider a brisk walk to work or to the shops instead of
using a car or bus, etc.
To gain health benefits you should do
at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic physical activity, on most days
(at least five days per week).
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30 minutes per day is
probably the minimum to gain health benefits. However, you do not have
to do this all at once. For example, cycling to work and back 15
minutes each way adds up to 30 minutes. Try to increase the amount to
40-60 minutes per day if you can.
- For people who need to manage
their weight and are at risk of putting on weight and becoming obese,
it should be for 45-60 minutes.
- For people who have been obese, or are still obese and are aiming to lose weight, it should be for 60-90 minutes.
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Moderate physical activity means that you get
warm, mildly out of breath, and mildly sweaty. It does not have to be
intense. However, some evidence suggests that the more vigorous the
physical activity, the better for health - particularly for preventing
heart disease.
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On most days. You cannot 'store up' the benefits of physical activity. You need to do it regularly. At least five days a week is recommended.
Realistically, walking is likely to be the activity chosen by
many people. But, this is fine as brisk walking is an excellent
moderate physical activity. One report about physical activity stated:
"The bottom line - walking two miles a day can cut the risk of death by
half".
Muscle-strengthening activities
In addition
to the above aerobic activities, adults should aim to do a minimum of
two sessions of muscle-strengthening activities per week (not on
consecutive days). Muscle-strengthening activities include a
progressive weight-training programme, stair climbing and similar
resistance exercises that use the major muscle groups. Ideally, the
activities and exercises should not only aim to improve or maintain
muscle strength, but also to maintain or improve flexibility and
balance. A session at a gym is possibly ideal, but activities at home
can easily suffice. For example, stair climbing, stretching and
resistance exercises can be done at home which do not involve any
special clothing or equipment.
A 'session' should be a minimum
of 8-10 exercises using the major muscle groups. Ideally, to maximise
strength development, use some sort of resistance (such as a weight for
arm exercises) and do 8-12 repetitions of each exercise. The level
(weight) of each exercise should be so that you can do 8-12 repetitions
before the muscle group tires. So, for example, for the upper arm
muscles, hold a weight in your hand and flex (bend ) the arm up and
down 8-12 times - which should make your arm muscles tire.
You
can do the exercises one after another to complete a session. Or, you
can split a session up over a day of, say, bouts of 10 minutes.
What about older people, children and teenagers
Older people
For older people, the above
recommendations still apply, depending on ability. A particular goal
for older people should be, where possible, to maintain or increase
flexibility and balance. So, the 'muscle strengthening' activities, on
two days a week, should perhaps focus on these areas. Maintaining
flexibility and balance helps older people remain independent, and
reduces the risk of falls, and injury from falls.
Children and teenagers
Children and
teenagers should get at least one hour a day of moderate physical
activity. The hour can be made up from various shorter sessions each
day. So, it can be achieved by a mixture of play, PE, games, dance,
cycling, a brisk walk to school, sports, various outdoor activities,
etc.
What are the health benefits of physical activity?
The
health benefits of doing regular physical activity are well documented
in research studies. The greatest health benefits occur when the least
active people become moderately active. However, there are still
benefits to be gained when moderately active people become very active.
In other words, people who do more than the recommended 30 minutes a
day are still likely to gain some extra reductions in health risks.
Health benefits include the following:
Heart disease and stroke
On average, the
risk of developing heart disease such as angina or a heart attack is
markedly reduced in people who are regularly physically active compared
to those who are not. For example, inactive people have almost double
the risk of having a heart attack compared to those who are regularly
physically active. Physically active people are also less likely to
have a stroke. Physical activity is good for the heart muscle itself,
but it also reduces some 'risk factors' for heart disease and stroke.
For example, on average, blood pressure, cholesterol, and body weight
are lower in people who are regularly physically active compared with
those who are not.
If you already have heart disease, regular
physical activity is usually advised as an important way to help
prevent the heart disease from getting worse.
Diabetes
If you are regularly physically
active then you have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than
inactive people. The greater the amount of physical activity that you
do, the lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Weight control
Physical activity helps to
burn off excess fat. Regular physical activity combined with a healthy
diet is the best way of losing excess weight, and to maintain a healthy
body weight. Of prime importance, physically active children are less
likely to become overweight or obese adults.
Osteoporosis
Regular physical activity helps
to prevent osteoporosis ('thinning of the bones'). The pulling and
tugging on the bones by the muscles stimulates bone-making cells which
strengthens the bones. This in turn reduces the risk of having
fractures when you are older.
Cancer
Regular physical activity roughly
halves the chance of developing cancer of the colon (bowel cancer).
There is also evidence that breast cancer is less common in women who
are regularly physically active.
Mental health
Physical activity is thought
to help ease stress, and improve general well-being and self-esteem.
Regular physical activity can also help to ease anxiety and depression.
It can also help to make you sleep better. (But do the activity during
the daytime or early evening, not near to bed time.)
Older people
If you are over 70, you are less likely to fall and be injured if you are regularly physically active.
Are there any risks with physical activity?
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Injury.
Sprains, and sometimes more serious injuries, are a risk if you do some
types of activity such as competitive sports. You can cut down the risk
of injury by always warming up before any vigorous activity, and by
wearing the correct footwear.
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Endurance sports such as marathon running can cause stress fractures, fatigue, and cause menstrual periods to stop in some women.
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Sudden death sometimes occurs in people who are doing some
physical activity. This is rare if you are used to moderate physical
activity. It is more likely to occur if you do not usually do much
physical activity, but then do a sudden bout of vigorous activity such
as an intense game of squash. However, even in this situation, sudden
death is rare.
If you gradually build up to do regular moderate physical
activity, the potential health gains greatly outweigh the small risks
involved.
Some other points about physical activity
- If
you have a condition that concerns you about physical activity, then
see a doctor before starting a physical activity programme. However,
there are few reasons why physical activity may be harmful. A common
wrong belief is that physical activity may be "bad for the heart". On
the contrary, physical activity is good for most people with heart
disease.
- If you are not used to physical activity, it is best to gradually build up the level of activity.
- One big obstacle is the uphill battle to become fit. Many people
feel that the first few attempts at physical activity are quite a
struggle. Do not get disheartened. You are likely to find that each
time it becomes easier and more enjoyable.
- Try and keep physical activity high on your list of priorities. If
one kind of activity becomes boring, try switching to other types to
maintain the health benefits.
- Some people set their goals too high. For example, aiming for a
marathon run. This may take too much time, you may lose enthusiasm, and
physical activity may become a drudge. Beware of this pitfall.
- You are more likely to keep on with regular physical activity if
you find an activity that you enjoy and that can be fitted into your
everyday life.
- Physical activity is not just for young 'sporty' types. It is never
too late to start to gain the benefits, no matter how old or unfit you
are.
Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not
be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. EMIS and
PiP have used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make
no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care
professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.
© EMIS and PiP 2008 Reviewed: 26 Aug 2008
