How much physical activity adults actually need

Canada's movement guidelines for adults aged 18 to 64 are built around a full 24 hours: how you move, how you sit and how you sleep all count. For activity, the targets are simple to remember.

The weekly targets

• 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity per week — for example 30 minutes on five days. Moderate means your breathing is up and you can talk but not sing.
• Muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days a week — bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, weights, or heavy gardening and carrying.
• Several hours of light activity, including standing, spread through the day.
• Less time sitting, and breaking up long sitting stretches.

What counts

Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, active play with kids, shovelling snow, climbing stairs, a fitness class. It does not need to happen in a gym and it does not need to happen all at once — shorter bouts through the day add up.

If you are starting from very little

1. Start with 10 minutes a day and add a few minutes each week. Doing some activity is far better than none, and the biggest health gains come when a mostly-inactive person becomes a little bit active.
2. Anchor it to something you already do — a walk after lunch, stairs instead of the elevator.
3. Add one strength session a week: sit-to-stands from a chair, wall push-ups, carrying groceries in two trips instead of one.
4. Expect a short adjustment period. Mild muscle soreness is normal; sharp joint pain is not.

When to check with a professional first

Talk to a health professional before a big increase in activity if you have heart disease, chest pain, dizziness on exertion, uncontrolled blood pressure, a recent injury or surgery, or a bone or joint condition. A physiotherapist or kinesiologist can build a plan around an old injury so you can progress without flaring it up.

Sources

• Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Adults (CSEP)
• World Health Organization — Physical activity
• ParticipACTION