Exercise (19-64 years of age)

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Physical activity is good for you.

Adults between 19-64 years of age should:

Aim to be physically active every day.

Perform strengthening exercises that work big muscles of the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms at least two days a week.

Perform 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise per week.

Decrease the amount of time sitting or lying down. Move around throughout the day as much as possible.

You can also get your weekly activity target with:

Multiple small sections of very vigorous intensity exercises.

A mix of moderate, vigorous and very vigorous intensity exercises.

You can do your weekly target of physical activity on a single day or over 2 or more days. Spreading the physical activity over multiple days will prevent exercise related injuries.

Make sure the type and intensity of your activity is appropriate for your level of fitness. Vigorous activity is not recommended for previously inactive patients.

You can start with light intensity exercises, and increase to moderate intensity exercises.

What is moderate aerobic exercises?

Moderate activity will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. One way to tell if you're working at a moderate intensity level is if you can still talk in short sentences, but not sing.

Examples of moderate intensity activities:

Brisk walking

Water aerobics

Riding a bike.

Dancing

Playing doubles tennis.

Pushing a lawnmower.

Hiking

Rollerblading

What is vigorous exercise?

Vigorous intensity activity makes you breathe hard and fast. If you're working at this level, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.

Most moderate activities can become vigorous if you increase your effort.

Examples of vigorous exercises are

Jogging or running.

Swimming fast.

Riding a bike uphill

Walking up the stairs.

Sports like football, hockey

Jumping rope

Gymnastics

Martial arts

Aerobics

What counts as very Rigorous exercise?

Very vigorous activities are exercises performed in short bursts of maximum effort broken up with rest.

This type of exercise is also known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Examples of very vigorous activities are

Lifting heavy weights.

Circuit training

Sprinting uphill

Interval running.

Running upstairs

Spinning classes

Which activities strengthen muscles?

To get health benefits from strength exercises, you should do them to the point where you need a short rest before repeating the activity.

Examples of muscles strengthening exercises are

Yoga

Pilates

Tai chi

Lifting weights

Working with resistance bands.

Using your body weight for exercise like push-ups, situps

Heavy gardening like digging, shoveling

Wheeling a wheelchair.

Lifting and carrying objects, children without injuring yourself

 

Muscle strengthening exercises are not always an aerobic activity, so you'll need them in addition to 150 minutes of aerobic activity.

 

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