Physical activity and health
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Definition
Physical activity includes all forms of activity, such as walking or cycling for everyday journeys, active play, work-related activity, active recreation such as working out in a gym, dancing, gardening or competitive sport.1 Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of many chronic conditions including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, mental health problems and musculoskeletal conditions.1
Targets
Everybody should aim to be active daily. For adults, the recommended amount is 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate activity per week, in bouts of ten minutes or more. The overall amount of activity is more important than the type, intensity or frequency, and one way to achieve this is to do 30 minutes on at least five days a week.1
It is recommended that children over five should engage in at least 60 minutes (one hour) of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity every day. Children under five who are capable of walking unaide...
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