Getting active

Research shows that getting active can improve your health, confidence and quality of life.

Not only can regular exercise help you keep the weight off, more importantly, it will lower your risk of developing major chronic diseases.

How much exercise is enough?

Your age, general health and current activity levels will determine how far you can push yourself. Adults should aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on five or more days a week to reap the health benefits. If you are overweight and you aren't changing your diet, 45 to 60 minutes of activity may be needed each day. If you are obese, you will need to do 60 to 90 minutes of activity every day to lose weight.

Children and young people need to be active for at least an hour every day, for example through active play, sport or walking to and from school.

You don't have to do all the activity in one go. If you were doing 30 minutes a day, you could do three 10-minute bursts of activity spread out through the day.

Getting an active lifestyle

Every little bit of physical activity in your daily routine helps. Being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week, is easier than you think.

Short bursts of activity throughout the day all add up to the total amount.

The NHS Choices website has some top tips for building exercise into your lifestyle, such as:

walking a bit brisker with the kids on the way to and from school
cycling to and from work
taking part in a more structured activity like a dance class or a gym session a few times a week
gardening
vigorous housework

For more help and tips on getting active see our Explore Kent pages.