Physical activity levels
In the UK, the four home countries’ chief medical officers have issued guidelines for how much physical activity people should do. This is a simplified version. We will learn later about the guidelines given by the American College of Sport Medicine in another entry on this blog.
| Age group | Amount | Intensity | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children and young people | At least 60 minutes per day | Moderate to vigorous | Running, dancing, cycling, swimming, active games |
| Adults | At least 150 minutes per week, eg 5 × 30 minutes | Moderate to vigorous | Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, gardening |
Movement and energy expenditure continuum, from Physiological and Health Implications of a Sedentary Lifestyle, Tremblay 2010
Moderate intensity activity – makes someone breathe harder, feel warmer and their heart beat more rapidly but they should still be able to hold a conversation.
Vigorous intensity activity – makes them breathe much harder, feel hotter and their heart beat much more rapidly so they will find it more difficult to hold a conversation.
This will depend on the individual’s current level of fitness as well as the type and duration of physical activity. Any physical activity is better than none.
Sedentary lifestyles
A sedentary lifestyle is one with no or irregular physical activity and an excessive amount of daily sitting.
In addition to the recommended levels of physical activity, people also need to reduce sedentary behaviours. Being sedentary means sitting or lying down for extended periods when awake.
Behaviours
Sedentary behaviours include:
- at school or work – sitting at a desk
- at home – watching TV, playing computer games, being on the internet
- travelling – driving a car, sitting in a train or bus
People are more sedentary now than in the past due to changes to our general lifestyle. For example, fewer people have manual jobs, more people own cars and drive, and technology has affected almost everything from housework to leisure.
Risks
People’s risk of developing some health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, increases if they have a sedentary lifestyle. Recent research suggests that a sedentary lifestyle can be harmful even if a person meets the recommended levels of physical activity. Below are some of the most typical health risks from leading a sedentary lifestyle:
- becoming overweight or obese
- developing depression due to a lack of activity and a feeling of being unhealthy
- a feeling of lethargy and no energy
- poor sleep patterns due to discomfort
- developing coronary heart disease (CHD) which can lead to death
- high blood pressure, sometimes referred to as hypertension
- increased risk of osteoporosis or brittle bones
- a loss of muscle tone and development of poor posture which can lead to back problems
- a loss of fitness such as decreased flexibility or strength
Solutions
Changing sedentary behaviours means altering many, often small, aspects of people’s daily lives.