Skip to main content

Physical Wellbeing

vegetables

Why is physical activity important?

Modern lifestyles mean that in some jobs, over 50% of total sitting time can happen in work and in some cases, sedentary behaviour can take up two thirds of the waking time every day.

Being physically active is an important part of day to day living and with today’s demands and busy lifestyles, exercise can sometimes be difficult to fit into a daily routine, so helping people build it into their day can benefit everyone.
 

What do we mean by physical activity?

The recommended guidance states that adults should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week, through a variety of activities.  This is equivalent to 22 minutes of physical activity per day.

For any activity to be of benefit to your health, you need to be moving quick enough to:

Raise Your Heart Rate Breathe Faster Feel Warmer

Levels of effort

There are 2 different levels of effort for physical activities.  Please note - everyone’s fitness level is different therefore what feels moderate to one person could feel vigorous to somebody else.  Please make sure that you regularly check in with your body when undertaking physical activity.
 

Everyone’s fitness level is different therefore what feels moderate to one person could feel vigorous to somebody else.  Make sure that you regularly check in with your body when undertaking physical activity.

Physical Wellbeing Image

What is the government recommended guidelines and what does that mean?

Based on the recommended guidance, each week, adults should look to achieve at least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) of moderate intensity of physical activity OR 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity.  This can be achieved in a variety of ways by either doing shorter durations of vigorous intensity activity; or a combination of moderate and vigorous intensity.

Remember, make sure that you regularly check in with your body when undertaking physical activity.

Benefits of Physical Activity

Here you will find ways to make physical activity part of your daily routine to create a healthier you. There is strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and happier life.

  • It can reduce your risk of major illnesses such as:
    • Coronary heart disease
    • Stroke
    • Type 2 diabetes
    • Cancer
  • It can lower your risk of early death by up to 30%
  • Proven to:
    • Improve sleep
    • Improve mood
    • Reduce stress, anxiety and depression
    • Help in the management of menopause
    • Improve quality of life
  • It's free, easy to take, has an immediate effect and you don't need a GP to get some.

There are many benefits to exercising regularly as can be seen in the infographic below:

Physical Activity in Adults Poster

It's never too late to start and doing some is good but doing more is better.

Resources: Benefits of Physical Activity

If you would like to find out more, here are some links that you may find useful:

Where am I?

Regardless of where you are on your physical wellbeing journey, here you will find ways in which you can make physical activity part of your daily routine. Click on the box that is most relevant to you:

 

 

Follow us: