How much exercise should I be doing???
Have you been told you need to be more active or start exercising, but not sure what to do or how much you should be doing?
The Department of Health has developed evidence-based guidelines outlining what types of exercise and how much we should be doing as children, adults, seniors, during pregnancy and for those with chronic conditions and disability.
These recommendations were created to help people understand how much exercise they should be getting to reduce their chances of, or better manage health conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, reduce risk of cancers and prevent unhealthy weight gain, all based on research and evidence.
Here at OTEP, we help manage people’s chronic health conditions and those with disability become more active by implementing exercise into their routines.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found that up to 75% of people with chronic health conditions or disability do not get enough physical activity. So how much and what should we be doing to work towards getting the benefits of regular physical activity?
Guidelines
For those with disability or chronic health conditions, it is still recommended that you try and aim for the physical activity recommendations of your age group such as ‘adults aged 18-64’.
All adults aged 18-64 should be aiming for at least 2.5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity of most days of the week. This might be something like a brisk walk, swimming or riding a bike, something that gets your heart rate up that you can maintain for 20-30 minutes.
Alternatively, adults can also do 1.25 hours a week of vigorous exercise, something that’s very challenging such as running, fast cycling, or sports like football, soccer, or basketball.
Adults should also aim to include strength exercises at least two days per week. This may be as simple as doing some squats, lunges or push ups at home to help build strength or using weights for strength training at the gym.
This seems really overwhelming… Where do I start???
A big part of being more physically active is limiting the amount of time spent being sedentary and lying down, as this can offset the benefits of being physically active.
Physical Activity Tips
Try to break up long periods of sitting throughout the day by:
Going for a short walk
Stretching
Using a standing desk
Doing a few squats or lunges to help increase blood flow!
Using the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
Parking your car further away and walking to your destination.
Getting your friends and family involved and making it social!
Exercise Physiologists are experts in developing engaging, fun, safe and effective exercise programs to help you start getting more active and help manage your health conditions, but also enjoy exercising and implement it as part of a healthy lifestyle.
At OTEP, we don’t just spend one hour a week going through an exercise program with you. We take a holistic approach and help guide you to achieve regular physical activity that is individualised and specific to your needs and goals, sustainable and enjoyable, by working collaboratively with other allied health practitioners and support workers.
