Being physically active is an important aspect of maintaining health and wellbeing. It can help prevent illness and manage existing health conditions and is a great way to spend time with others or enjoy me time.
Simply moving more can have a big impact on our health and make us feel better. Being active as we age can help keep us:
- mobile
- independent
- connected with our community
What we should try to do
Adults should try to be active for 150 minutes a week. However, this doesn’t have to be all in one go. It can be in small chunks throughout the day. Every little counts. We should aim to move in a way that makes us feel warmer and increases our heart rate slightly.
For example, try a walk with a friend. Walking briskly is key but you can still chat as you go for it to count towards your weekly minutes. More vigorous activity such as a team sport is also good and a minimum of 75 minutes per week is recommended.
Adults should also try to do some muscle strengthening exercises every week and older adults should try to do activity that helps improve strength and balance. Simple balance exercises or more organised activities such as the following are effective:
- Tai Chi
- dancing
- racquet sports
Additional guidelines are also available for the following groups:
- Physical activity for disabled adults
- Physical activity for pregnant women
- Physical activity for women after childbirth: birth to 12 months
In the following sections you can find information about the activity sessions that are available to you.