Exercise – some is good, more is better!

Last September (2019), the UK Chief Medical Officer published updated guidelines around physical activity and made recommendations for the activity levels we should all be aiming for each week.

The report stresses the importance of being active every day for physical and mental health, and that any activity is better than no activity at all.

Adults (19-64 years old) should aim to accumulate at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate intensity activity (such as brisk walking or cycling); or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity (such as running); or even shorter durations of very vigorous intensity activity (such as sprinting or stair climbing); or a combination of these.  Older adults (65+) should build up gradually to 150 minutes per week.

So how can you reach your 150 minutes of exercise?  Doing a bit each day will help you reach your total.In addition to a session or two here at Cardiac Rehab, a brisk walk, jog or a bike ride are all good for you and the faster you go, the more intense it will be.

The Guidelines also highlight the importance of focusing on developing or building muscle strength.  These activities such as carrying heavy shopping, heavy gardening or resistance work help to maintain bone health which helps with overall fitness, especially as you get older.

At Cardiac Rehab, we have been strong proponents of building more exercise into your life since our foundation in 1976 and we fully endorse the message of the CMO within the Physical Activity Guidelines.  As they say, “You always feel better for being active. We want as many people as possible to protect their future health and start their journey to a healthier life now” and we fully support them with this.

To read the full report, click here

For more interesting insights into exercise, take a look at Dr Hugh’s latest blog post