It is easy to fall into the trap of over-research and looking for the perfect routine. The secret is this - there is no perfect routine.
We have published guidance to help you figure out what you can do in your daily life to boost your physical activity.
Whether it's taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking the dog, pottering about in the garden, or getting up during the tv advert breaks, it all counts!
What is physical activity and how much should you do?
When we talk about physical activity, many different images may come to mind: Olympic athletes gruellingly perfecting their performance, children playing tag around sets of swings and slides, or even our own Peterborough United taking to the pitch on a Saturday afternoon. For others, it may be reminiscing on days gone by or the everyday ways they keep moving in their own lives.
The World Health Organization defines physical activity as “any bodily movement{…] that requires energy expenditure'. This includes all forms of movement whether for leisure, travel, work, or household tasks.
In the UK, the Chief Medical Officers recommend that we should aim for at least:
- Adults - 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week (that gets you breathing hard but able to talk), or shorter periods of vigorous activity (that makes it difficult to talk).
- Children - 7 hours (an average of 60 minutes per day) of moderate-intensity activity each week, or shorter periods of vigorous activity.
Intensity and the talk test
It can be hard to judge whether activity is light, moderate, vigorous or very vigorous. A practical method is the Talk Test. During light activity you can sing or comfortably hold a conversation whilst being active. During moderate aerobic activity you can speak in full sentences but cannot sing. Vigorous activity leaves you able to say only a few words before pausing for breath. Very vigorous activity makes talking unlikely and can leave you breathless for a short time after stopping.
Everyone begins from a different fitness baseline, so the effort needed to reach each intensity will vary which is why the talk test works so well.
Remember to maintain your strength and balance
The UK's Chief Medical Officers also advise incorporating activities that build or maintain strength and balance.
This does not only mean lifting weights in a gym or walking a balance beam; it can include yoga, carrying heavy shopping, or other forms of resistance work. Basically, moving around a weight that feels heavy but manageable. Importantly, the guidance emphasises that some activity is good, and more is better. This is something we will keep coming back to!
Regular movement helps preserve muscle strength, balance, and flexibility, reducing the risk of falls and frailty. It also supports heart health, keeps the brain sharp, and protects against conditions such as osteoporosis and dementia.
Visit the NHS website to view their strength and balance exercises, which you can do at home.
Any movement helps - ideas you can incorporate into your daily routine
It may be that your schedule is unpredictable, you cannot commit to organised classes, or you struggle to set aside dedicated time for exercise. The simplest and most reliable approach is to attach small bouts of activity to things you already do:
- Gardening - mowing, raking, planting, watering, carrying etc
- Dog walking
- Playing with children or grandchildren
- Standing or walking about while on the phone
- Getting up off the sofa during TV advert breaks
- Stretching or squatting while the kettle boils
- Dancing around your home to your favourite song
- Using the stairs instead of a lift
- Parking your car at the furthest point in the car park
- Getting off the bus a stop early
- Catching-up with friends over a walk in the park
Remember that any movement helps. It all counts! Favour activities you enjoy and aim for small, regular increases. You could also consider getting your family and friends involved!
Try to commit to doing things consistently until it feels automatic and becomes a habit!
Tips for getting started
It is very easy to fall into the trap of over-research and looking for the perfect routine. The secret is this - there is no perfect routine. Aim for good enough, not perfect. Our most impactful guidance can be condensed down to this:
Know what is safe for you
A full sprint after not exercising for years is not a good idea. Patients with some diseases are specifically advised by their doctor to avoid certain activities. If you are unsure, speak to someone. However, for almost everyone else, it is safe and beneficial to do more than you are doing now and far more harmful to do nothing.
Briefly plan ahead
You don’t need to reach the activity guidelines on your first day. Your goals could be doing something to get yourself at least a little ‘out of puff’ for 10 minutes every day and never missing two days in a row. It could even be as little as 30 seconds of moving to break up every hour of sitting. Here, the process is the goal, and the key is consistency.
Start small and do what you enjoy most...
Avoid injury by starting with small achievable goals. You'll be more likely to keep going if you don't 'overdo it' early on. Even if you don't enjoy it at first, once you feel the benefits and your body adapts to it, you might just change your mind.
...and then build up
Then, if you would like, you can adjust your goals to slowly do more and progress. If you do less than 30 minutes of physical activity, then aim for over 30 minutes. If you do over 30 minutes already, then shoot for an extra 30 minutes spread over the week. Try to keep adding until you are over the 150 minutes per week for all adults or 60 minutes per day for children.
Seek medical advice if something doesn't feel right
Distinguish between normal post‑exercise soreness and sharp or worsening pain; stop and seek professional advice if you experience acute pain, swelling, numbness, severe breathlessness or other worrying symptoms. For people with long‑term conditions or recent injuries, adaptions and professional guidance ensure activity is both safe and therapeutic.
