Adults (18-65)

At least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on 5 days a week (or 150 minutes a week).

Every adult should be active. Some physical activity is better than none, more is better than some, and any amount of physical activity you do gains some health benefits.

You can count shorter bouts of activity towards the guidelines. These bouts should last for at least 10 minutes. Add activities which increase muscular strength and endurance on 2–3 days per week.

Moderate Activity Vigorous activity
Increased breathing and heart rate, but still able to carry on a conversation. Warm or sweating slightly, comfortable pace. Breathing heavily, cannot keep a conversation going, faster heart rate and sweating, concentrating hard.
Examples of moderate and vigorous activity for adults
Moderate Aerobic Activity Vigorous Aerobic Activity
  • Brisk walking; a mile in 15–20 minutes
  • Digging in the garden
  • Medium paced swimming
  • Water aerobics
  • Cycling slower than 10 miles per hour
  • Tennis (doubles)
  • Ballroom dancing
  • General gardening
  • Jogging or running a mile in 10 minutes or faster
  • Active sports such as football or soccer, squash, aerobics
  • Circuit training
  • Fast cycling (10 miles per hour or faster) or brisk rowing
  • Swimming lengths
  • Tennis (singles)
  • Dancing such as quick step, hip hop, street, salsa, Irish dancing
  • Skipping
  • Heavy gardening (continuous digging or hoeing, heart rate increases)
  • Hill-walking with a backpack

For more health benefits, increase your aerobic activity to 60 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week. To meet the guidelines you can do either moderate or vigorous activities or a combination of both, for example 30 minutes brisk walking on two days a week plus 15 minutes of jogging on three days a week.

It takes less time to get the same benefit from vigorous activity compared to moderate activity. A general rule is that one minute of vigorous activity equals two minutes of moderate activity. So you could do vigorous activity for at least 75 minutes a week or 150 minutes of moderate activity. Ideally, spread your activity throughout the week. Add activity which increases muscular strength and endurance on two or more days a week.

Examples of muscle strengthening and balance activities for adults
Muscle Strengthening Activities Balance Activities
  • Digging, lifting and carrying while gardening
  • Carrying groceries
  • Circuit training, step aerobics
  • Exercises using exercise bands, weight machines, hand-held weights
  • Tai chi and yoga exercises
  • Backward and sideways walking, and walking on heels and toes
  • Standing from a sitting position
  • Standing on one foot

If you have a diagnosed chronic condition such as diabetes, heart disease, or osteoarthritis or if you have symptoms such as chest pain or pressure, dizziness or joint pain, talk to your doctor before you increase your activity levels.