Every little helps
As well as considering structured exercise options, the good news is that recent advice tells us that every bit of movement can help, no matter how brief.
Keeping moving at regular intervals throughout the day will help keep your heart, lungs, bones and muscle health. This can protect our overall health and also keep us functioning day to day.
Evidence tells us that prolonged periods of sitting can be a risk to health. It is important, whilst many of us are mostly staying at home, to try to move around as much as you can.
Here are some simple tips to keep you moving:
- can you stand up each time a TV advert break comes on?
- can you walk up and down the stairs for a few minutes before sitting down for lunch?
- if you have a garden try to get outside and do some garden maintenance
Physical Activity Guidelines
To get the full benefits of being active the chief medical officer advises that adults do 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
Children and young people should do 60 minutes per day of a whole range of activities.
As well as this it is recommended that adults do muscle strengthening work two times a week, with some activity to promote balance for older people.
For more information read the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines.
How to exercise with care
Here are some tips to keep in mind when you exercise:
- whenever you’re exercising, do so at your own pace and only if you feel well enough
- make sure you warm up before doing any in physical activity, online classes should include a warm up - if you are running or walking start at a slow pace and build your speed slowly
- if you experience pain, discomfort, light headedness, dizziness or sickness while exercising stop and seek professional advice
- try to warm down after exercise, do not stop abruptly, try some gentle stretches to finish
- if you are weight training it is sensible to alternate days working on specific muscles groups - why not adopt some more restful days involving lower intensity exercise like walking, stretching, yoga or pilates
- do not exercise if you’re suffering from health conditions or injuries which may be exacerbated through physical activity, including heart or circulatory conditions
- do not exercise if your doctor has told you not to.