Being physically active

If you are overweight or obese, you can lose weight using a combination of regular exercise and a calorie-controlled diet. Even if you are not overweight, it is a good idea to be physically active. It can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.

The recommendation for adults is 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise every day for at least five days a week.

To stay healthy or to improve health, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week: aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.

Examples of exercises that require moderate effort include:

• walking fast
• water aerobics
• riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
• doubles tennis
• pushing a lawn mower
• hiking
• skateboarding
• rollerblading
• volleyball
• basketball

Moderate-intensity activity will raise your heart rate and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. One way to tell if you’re working at a moderate intensity is if you can still talk, but you can’t sing the words to a song

If you find it difficult to do 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week, start at a level you feel comfortable with.

For example, do 5-10 minutes of light exercise a day and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your activity as your fitness level improves.

You may also find useful:

• Read more about the physical activity guidelines for adults and get tips on being more active.
• Find out about local sport opportunities
• Read more about the benefits of exercise
• Learn how the Change 4 Life campaign is helping people to eat well and be more active