Regular physical activity can improve your physical, mental, emotional, and social health.
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines encourage adults aged 18 to 64 to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per week and several hours of light physical activities, including standing.
It’s also important to work on muscle and bone-strengthening activities that use major muscle groups at least 2 days per week. While following these recommendations may be challenging at times, making gradual progressions towards any of these goals will lead to some health benefits. Every little bit counts!
Integrating physical activity with other movement behaviours, like reducing sedentary (inactive) time and sleeping well, can provide additional health-related benefits. Try to limit sedentary time to 8 hours or less, including no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time and break up long periods of sedentary behaviour when possible. Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night and find strategies to sleep better.
Benefits of moving more
- Enhanced mental health and wellbeing
- Regulated sleep patterns
- Greater creativity and learning
- Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression
- Improved mood and self-esteem
- Better concentration, memory, learning, and attention
- Increased engagement and social activities
- Higher productivity levels
- Reduced risk of physical illness