How active do you need to be?

The duration and intensity of exercise or activity you need has been hotly debated for years. For the vast majority of people we could probably do more, as we often underestimate how much we do. All sources agree that not moving and staying sedentary will harm your health and those that start from no activity and then start no matter how small will see the biggest gains.  

On average a quarter of Britons (27%) aren’t managing a single 30 minute exercise session a week. ‍

Reference: You GOV poll

WHO guidelines

This is regularly debated and there are so many studies that have conflicting advice. As the WHO expresses any exercise is better than none, but their guidelines are; At least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity

Step counts‍

‍However,  even walking 7,000 steps daily can make a difference and reduce overall mortality.

HIIT training

Some scientists argue it is not the minutes but the intensity of the exercise; studies have shown that HIIT (high intensity Interval Training) can be as beneficial, especially for those that do not have the time to be exercise for long periods of time. 

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Can you do too much exercise?

During the pandemic, exercise replaced many of the social activities people did and there have been reports that people have become addicted to it. Like most areas of life, balance is key, have rest days from exercise, have other forms of activities you enjoy and if injured do not push yourself, rest and wait to heal before you start back again.