WHO defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity refers to all movement including during leisure time, for transport to get to and from places, or as part of a person’s work. Both moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity improve health.
Popular ways to be active include walking, cycling, wheeling, sports, active recreation and play, and can be done at any level of skill and for enjoyment by everybody.
Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and several cancers. It also helps prevent hypertension, maintain healthy body weight and can improve mental health, quality of life and well-being.
- hysical activity has significant health benefits for hearts, bodies and minds
- Physical activity contributes to preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes
- Physical activity reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Physical activity enhances thinking, learning, and judgment skills
- Physical activity ensures healthy growth and development in young people
- Physical activity improves overall well-being
- Globally, 1 in 4 adults do not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity
- Up to 5 million deaths a year could be averted if the global population was more active
- People who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active
- More than 80% of the world’s adolescent population is insufficiently physically active
Benefits + risks from sedentary
18-64 years old
- should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity;
- or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week
- should also do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.
- may increase moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to more than 300 minutes; or do more than 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderateand vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week for additional health benefits.
- should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits, and
- to help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, all adults and older adults should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate- to vigorous-intensity
65+ years old
- Same as for adults; and
- as part of their weekly physical activity, older adults should do varied multicomponent physical activity that emphasizes functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity, on 3 or more days a week, to enhance functional capacity and to prevent falls.
How much should you do?
Regular physical activity can:
- Improve muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness;
- Improve bone and functional health;
- Reduce the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, various types of cancer (including breast cancer and colon cancer), and depression;
- Reduce the risk of falls as well as hip or vertebral fractures; and
- Help maintain a healthy body weight.
In children and adolescents, physical activity improves:
- Physical fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness)
- Cardiometabolic health (blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, glucose, and insulin resistance)
- Bone health
- Cognitive outcomes (academic performance, executive function)
- Mental health (reduced symptoms of depression)
- Reduced adiposity
In adults and older adults, higher levels of physical activity improves:
- Risk of all-cause mortality
- Risk of cardiovascular disease mortality
- Incident hypertension
- Incident site-specific cancers (bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, oesophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric and renal cancers)
- Incident type-2 diabetes
- Prevents of falls
- Mental health (reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression)
- Cognitive health
- Sleep
- measures of adiposity may also improve
Exercise and relationships to injury risk
RUNNING – STRAIGHT AHEAD
Make a course of up of six to 10 pairs of parallel cones, approximately five to six meters apart. Two players can start at the same time from the same pair of cones. Jog together all the way to the last pair of cones. On the way back, you can progressively increase your speed as you warm up. Do two sets.
RUNNING – HIP IN
Walk or jog comfortably, stopping at each pair of cones to lift your knee and rotate your hip outward. Alternate between left and right legs at successive cones. Do two sets.
RUNNING – HIP OUT
Walk or jog comfortably, stopping at each pair of cones to lift your knee and rotate your hip inward. Alternate between left and right legs at successive cones. Do two sets.
RUNNING – STRAIGHT AHEAD
Make a course of up of six to 10 pairs of parallel cones, approximately five to six meters apart. Two players can start at the same time from the same pair of cones. Jog together all the way to the last pair of cones. On the way back, you can progressively increase your speed as you warm up. Do two sets.
RUNNING – STRAIGHT AHEAD
Make a course of up of six to 10 pairs of parallel cones, approximately five to six meters apart. Two players can start at the same time from the same pair of cones. Jog together all the way to the last pair of cones. On the way back, you can progressively increase your speed as you warm up. Do two sets.
RUNNING – STRAIGHT AHEAD
Make a course of up of six to 10 pairs of parallel cones, approximately five to six meters apart. Two players can start at the same time from the same pair of cones. Jog together all the way to the last pair of cones. On the way back, you can progressively increase your speed as you warm up. Do two sets.
RUNNING – STRAIGHT AHEAD
Make a course of up of six to 10 pairs of parallel cones, approximately five to six meters apart. Two players can start at the same time from the same pair of cones. Jog together all the way to the last pair of cones. On the way back, you can progressively increase your speed as you warm up. Do two sets.
RUNNING – STRAIGHT AHEAD
Make a course of up of six to 10 pairs of parallel cones, approximately five to six meters apart. Two players can start at the same time from the same pair of cones. Jog together all the way to the last pair of cones. On the way back, you can progressively increase your speed as you warm up. Do two sets.