Physical Activity
Physical Activity should not be confused with exercise. Physical activity is the movement of your body that works your muscles and requires more energy than resting.
Adults should do some type of physical activity every day. Any type of activity is good for you. The more you do the better.
Adults should:
- aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still
- do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week
- reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.
You can also achieve your weekly activity target with:
- several short sessions of very vigorous intensity activity
- a mix of moderate, vigorous and very vigorous intensity activity
These targets can be achieved on a single day or over 2 or more days. Whatever suits you.
A few examples of physical activity include walking, dancing, swimming, yoga, and gardening.
These guidelines are also suitable for disabled adults, pregnant women and new mothers.
The benefits of physical activity are vast. Being physically active improves your health, both physical and mental, reduces the risk of developing several diseases including type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity has immediate and long-term health benefit; it helps manage weight, improves sleep patterns and provides you with more energy and a better mood. Being physically active also plays a huge part in our mental wellbeing and helps with depression.
For physical activity guidelines see:
What counts as moderate aerobic activity?
Moderate activity will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer. One way to tell if you're working at a moderate intensity level is if you can still talk, but not sing.
Examples of moderate intensity activities include brisk walking, water aerobics, riding a bike, dancing, pushing a lawn mower, hiking etc.
What counts as vigorous activity?
Vigorous intensity activity makes you breathe hard and fast. If you're working at this level, you will not be able to say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
In general, 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity can give similar health benefits to 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity. Most moderate activities can become vigorous if you increase your effort.
Examples of vigorous activities jogging or running, swimming fast, riding a bike fast or on hills, walking up stairs, playing sports such as football, rugby, netball, hockey, gymnastics, martial arts etc.
What counts as very vigorous activity?
Very vigorous activities are exercises performed in short bursts of maximum effort broken up with rest. This type of exercise is also known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Examples of very vigorous activities include lifting heavy weights, circuit training, sprinting up hills, spinning classes, running up stairs etc.
What activities strengthen muscles?
To get health benefits from strength exercises, you should do them to the point where you need a short rest before repeating the activity. There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether you're at home or in a gym. Example's of muscle-strengthening activities include yoga, pilates, tai chi, lifting weights, working with resistance bands, push-ups/sit-ups, wheeling a wheelchair, carrying heavy shopping bags, lifting and carrying children etc.
NHS have estimated cost of physical inactivity in Scotland (opens new window) to be over a billion per year.
"24 Hour Fitness (opens new window)" is a video produced in partnership with Dr. Mike Evans. It provides viewers with an entertaining and informative visual lecture about the single best thing you can do for your health -- exercise!
Fitness for busy mums and dads
- Set a time for physical activity and stick to it. You're more likely to find time to be active if you do it at the same time and on the same days each week.
- Split activity up throughout the day - you can achieve your target in bouts of 10 minutes or more. Try these 10 minute workouts (opens new window).
- Walk your children to and from school. This will also help them develop a pattern of physical activity.
- Be active with your child. Take them to the swimming pool, or play in the garden or park.
- Take up running - if you're just starting out, try our popular .
- Join a child-friendly gym. Find a class or club that accepts children or offers childcare during a workout.
- Set up a buggy group with other parents and go on long walks with the children.
- Exercise during your lunch break.
- Cycle or walk part, if not all, of your journey to work. Get off one bus stop before your destination.
Fitness for office workers
Ways to increase physical activity levels during your working day:
- Get off a bus or tube stop before your destination
- If you need to drive, try to park further away from your office and walk the rest of the way
- Set a timer to get up and away from your desk
- Walk over to someone's desk at work rather than calling them on the phone or sending an email
- Use a toilet on a different floor
- Take the stairs instead of the lift
- Take a walk during your lunch break
- Use a printer on a different floor or one further away from your desk
A guide to getting active if you have a disability (opens new window) or long-term health condition can be found on the NHS website
When it comes to exercise, disabled people have pretty much the same options - everything from simply getting out a bit more to playing team sports.
Fitness for disabled people
- If you can walk, there's no easier way to increase your activity levels. Try to include walking in your daily routine. Find a friend to walk with or join a walking group for some extra motivation.
- Cycling - there are tricycles, quad cycles, recumbent, hand-powered bikes called hand cycles, and power-assisted bicycles, all of which are alternatives for those unable to ride a regular bicycle.
- Split activity up throughout the day. You can achieve your target in bouts of 10 minutes or more - try these 10 minute workouts (opens new window). Talk to a health professional or ask an organisation for people with your disability about what the best exercises are for you.
- Low-impact exercises such as yoga, pilates and tai chi have been adapted to suit the needs of people with different types of disabilities. Get advice first, however, particularly if you have a physical disability - exercises not suited to your disability may be harmful.
- Choose a gym from more than 400 Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) accredited gyms. Find an opportunity near to you on Activity Alliance's (opens new window) website.
- Swimming can feel quite liberating if you have a physical disability, as your body is mostly supported by the water. Many pools offer classes and sessions that cater specifically for disabled people.
- Adapted sports - many sports can be played by disabled people on the same basis as non-disabled people. Some, such as blind football, have also been adapted to make them more disability-friendly.
Older adults should do some type of physical activity every day. Any type of activity is good for you. The more you do the better.
Adults aged 65 and over should:
- aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none. The more you do the better, even if it's just light activity
- do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity if you are already active, or a combination of both
- reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity
If you've fallen or are worried about falling, doing exercises to improve your strength, balance and flexibility will help make you stronger and feel more confident on your feet. Speak to your GP if you have any concerns about exercising.
Fitness for older adults (65 years and over)
- Be active around the house - cooking, housework and walking while you're on the phone can help keep you mobile, although these activities won't count towards your weekly activity target.
- Conservation groups are a way to get involved in improving your local environment and being active at the same time. Find out more about Green Gyms (opens new window).
- Try something new.
- Walking is the easiest way to increase your activity levels. Find a friend to walk with, or join a walking group for some extra motivation.
- Senior sports or fitness classes keep you motivated and can be fun, relieve stress and help you meet friends.
- Heavy gardening - including pushing, bending, squatting, carrying, digging and shovelling - can provide a good workout.
- Swimming, aqua aerobics and working out in water are ideal for older adults, because water reduces stress and strain on the body's joints.
- Yoga is suitable for all ability levels. It combines a series of poses with breathing, and is good for building strength, flexibility and balance.
- Tai chi is an ancient Chinese art that builds strength, flexibility and balance through slow and controlled movements.
- Pilates focuses on stretching and strengthening the whole body to improve balance, muscle strength, flexibility and posture.
The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour and get back into shape after the birth.
Keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise (sport, running, yoga, dancing, or even walking to the shops and back) for as long as you feel comfortable. Exercise is not dangerous for your baby. There is some evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour.
Exercise tips for pregnancy
Do not exhaust yourself. You may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses or if your maternity team advises you to. If in doubt, consult your maternity team.
As a general rule, you should be able to hold a conversation as you exercise when pregnant. If you become breathless as you talk, then you're probably exercising too strenuously.
If you were not active before you got pregnant, do not suddenly take up strenuous exercise. If you start an aerobic exercise programme (such as running, swimming, cycling or aerobics classes), tell the instructor that you're pregnant and begin with no more than 15 minutes of continuous exercise, 3 times a week. Increase this gradually to daily 30-minute sessions.
Remember that exercise does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial.
Exercise tips when you're pregnant:
- always warm up before exercising, and cool down afterwards
- try to keep active on a daily basis - 30 minutes of walking each day can be enough, but if you cannot manage that, any amount is better than nothing
- avoid any strenuous exercise in hot weather
- drink plenty of water and other fluids
- if you go to exercise classes, make sure your teacher is properly qualified and knows that you're pregnant, as well as how many weeks pregnant you are
- you might like to try swimming because the water will support your increased weight. Some local swimming pools provide aqua-natal classes with qualified instructors.
- exercises that have a risk of falling, such as horse riding, downhill skiing, ice hockey, gymnastics and cycling, should only be done with caution. Falls carry a risk of damage to your baby
Exercises to avoid in pregnancy:
- do not lie flat on your back for long periods, particularly after 16 weeks, because the weight of your bump presses on the main blood vessel bringing blood back to your heart and this can make you feel faint
- do not take part in contact sports where there's a risk of being hit, such as kickboxing, judo or squash
- do not go scuba diving, because the baby has no protection against decompression sickness and gas embolism (gas bubbles in the bloodstream)
- do not exercise at heights over 2,500m above sea level - this is because you and your baby are at risk of altitude sickness
- Physical Activity Infograph for pregnant women (opens new window)
Xcite West Lothian Leisure (opens new window) gives you a choice of leisure activities to enjoy from gyms, fitness classes to swimming sports and act ivies for kids across 9 venues across West Lothian. As a partner organisation, West Lothian Council staff can access most of these services at discounted rates.
There are 2 parkruns in West Lothian that take place every Saturday morning at 9.30am, they are FREE 5k events that can be ran, jogged or walked and are totally organised by volunteers. All you need to do is register once and print out your unique bar code and bring this along with you to every event. To register click on this link (opens new window)
- Livingston parkrun (opens new window) takes place every Saturday morning at 9.30am at the front of the Civic Centre.
- Polkemmet parkrun (opens new window) takes place every Saturday morning at 9.30am from Polkemmet Country Park.
Always make sure to keep yourself safe whilst online
Listed below are some apps to get you started on physical activities. Whilst these apps can be useful, they are not a replacement for seeking medical advice and therefore you should consult with your GP in the first instance before commencing any new exercise regime.
Please check the suitability of each App, and if there are any cost implications or compatibility issues. Whilst most of the apps listed below are free to download, please be aware of potential in-app purchases.
- Active10 (opens new window) - walking tracker app takes away the guesswork. It shows how much brisk walking you're doing and how you can do more. Available on iOS and android, free
- Couch to 5K running plan (opens new window) - NHS running plan for beginners with podcasts that will help you gradually work up towards running 5K in just 9 weeks
- NHS Fitness Studio (opens new window) - NHS fitness studios with a range of different exercise plans to suit all levels of activity
- Strength and Flex (opens new window) - an NHS 5-week exercise workout plan
- MyFitnessPal (opens new window) - a smartphone app and website that tracks diet and exercise. Available on iOS and android, free.
- Jefit (opens new window) - allows you to manage your training routine and keep track of your workout progress easily. The Jefit Routine Database contains thousands of user-created workout routines that can be downloaded, tracked and used with the workout application. Available on iOS and android, free
Unsure of which sport to take, take the Which sport are you made for? (opens new window) quiz by the BBC.
Disclaimer
The app developer is solely responsible for their app's advertisement, compliance and fitness for purpose. Unless stated otherwise, apps are not supplied by West Lothian Council, and West Lothian Council is not liable for their use.
