Did you know?

• 80% of people think they do enough activity to benefit their health but only 25% of women and 37% of men actually do

• 95% of people aged 65 and over do not take part in the recommended level of physical activity
  

• Adults who are physically active have 20-30% reduced risk of premature death
  

• The cost of physical inactivity in England - including direct costs of treatment for the major lifestyle-related diseases, and the indirect costs of sickness absence - has been estimated at £8.2 billion a year.
  

• Sedentary people who become active halve their risk of colon cancer

Adults, including older people, should be building up to at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on five or more days of the week.

This can be done in three bouts of 10 minutes each or in one go - whichever suits you best.

30 minutes is enough for general health. Most people are likely to need 45-60 minutes to prevent obesity.

Young people should be building up to at least 1 hour of moderate activity every day.

At least twice a week this should include activities such as running,
jumping, ball games or gymnastics that produce high physical stresses on the bones. These improve bone health, muscle strength and flexibility.

Examples include:

• Brisk walking
• Cycling
• Gardening and light digging
• Taking the stairs
• Active hobbies, dance and sports