Be active

Have more energy, feel better and increase chances for a longer life.

You can… by being active. Doing any regular physical activity is better than doing none at all. Look for ways to add physical activity and limit sedentary behaviour in your day. Regular physical activity can:

  • make you feel good
  • improve your self-esteem and confidence
  • help prevent unhealthy weight gain
  • reduce the risk of developing, and help to manage both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
  • help to build strong bones, muscles and joints
  • promote healthy growth and development.

Ways to be active

Most of us want to feel fitter and have more energy, but we’re so busy keeping up with everything that’s going on in our lives, that finding time for physical activity can sometimes be tricky.

But being active may well be the best investment we make for a healthier and longer life no matter how old we are – and even small changes can make a positive difference to our health and wellbeing. You can literally walk yourself happy!

Being active at different ages and stages

Being active at different ages and stages of your life is important, but you need to remember that the activities you do are developmentally appropriate.

  • Infants (birth to 1 year): physical activity, particularly supervised floor based play in safe environments, should be encouraged from birth
  • Toddlers (1 to 3 years) and Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): need to be physically active every day for at least three hours, spread throughout the day.
  • Children (5 to 12 years) and Teens (13 to 17 years): should accumulate at least 60minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity every day. They should do a variety of aerobic activities and engage in more activity for additional benefits
  • Adults (18 to 64 years): should accumulate 2½ to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity or 1¼ to 2½ hours of vigorous intensity physical activity, or a combination of both) each week.
  • Pregnancy is a time to focus on being as healthy as you can for the benefit of your heath and your new baby. The free Get Healthy in Pregnancy service can help you maintain an active lifestyle which is safe for you and your baby.
  • Older adults (65 years and older): should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.