Physical activity is good for your body and your mind. Together, with a healthy diet , regular exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can improve:

• The way you feel – by giving you more strength and energy, helping you to sleep, reducing your stress levels, lowering your blood pressure and managing your weight.
• Your long-term health – by reducing your risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Research also suggests that physical activity can have a positive effect on learning. Students who are physically active tend to have better grades, school attendance, cognitive performance (e.g. memory and concentration), and behaviour in class.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the following as minimum guidelines for physical activity:

• Young children (0–4 years) should be physically active every day. Please refer to the WHO guidelines for children under 5 years of age for detailed advice on babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, as their needs change rapidly over this period.
• Children and adolescents (5–17 years) should do at least 1 hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day (or an average of 7+ hours across the week). This should include vigorous physical activities, as well as muscle strengthening activities at least 3 days a week.
• Adults (18–64 years) should be active every day and do at least 2½ hours of moderate, or 1¼ hours of vigorous physical activity over a week (or a combination of both). They should also do muscle strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups at least two days a week.
• The same recommendations for adults apply to older people (65+ years), pregnant women (and those who have recently given birth), and people living with chronic health conditions or disabilities. However, each person should adjust the type and intensity of activity according to their individual needs and abilities and consult a doctor for additional guidance.
• All age groups should limit the time spent sitting and being inactive. There is increasing evidence that, unless you are a wheelchair user, sitting down too much can be a risk to your health. Wherever possible, people should break up long periods of sitting with light activity such as standing or stretching.

These are minimum recommendations, so you should aim to do more than this if you can. The more time you spend being active, and the more vigorous your activity, the more health benefits you will receive. This includes better fitness and a healthier body weight.

Sometimes it can be hard to find time to exercise, especially when you have family, work and other commitments keeping you busy. But remember, any exercise is better than none, and all physical activity counts. For example, you can be active through:

• work (gardening, housework, building etc.)
• transport (walking or paddling)
• play and recreation (swimming, dancing, playing games etc.)
• sport (netball, basketball, rugby, volleyball etc.)

For most people, the easiest way to get enough exercise is to develop ‘active habits’ that become part of everyday life. For example, you may choose to walk some days instead of catching the bus. It also helps to choose activities you enjoy, and that bring you extra benefits like spending time with friends or saving money.

And you don’t have to do it all in one go. You could do 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Or find time for longer workouts in the weekend, if you are busy during the week.