Understanding Australia's Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults

Most will understand that exercise, or movement in general is good for our health.

Physical activity can support almost every part of our health, from preventing and managing chronic conditions to keeping our bones and muscles strong as we age through to supporting our mental health.

Did you know, however, that there are physical activity guidelines that break down how much and what type of exercise we should all be doing?

We suspect most will not be aware of the types and duration of exercise we should be doing, so let’s take a closer look!

Let’s Look at the Guidelines

For Adults (18-64 years old)

Adults should be active most days, preferably every day. Each week, adults should do either:

  • 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity – such as a brisk walk, golf, mowing the lawn or swimming

  • 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous-intensity physical activity – such as jogging, aerobics, fast cycling, soccer or netball

  • an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous activities.

Include muscle-strengthening activities as part of your daily physical activity on at least 2 days each week. This can be:

  • push-ups

  • pull-ups

  • squats or lunges

  • lifting weights

  • household tasks that involve lifting, carrying or digging.

For Seniors (64 years old + )

For people aged 65 years and over, we recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.

If you find 30 minutes difficult right now, start with just 10 minutes once or twice a day. After 2 weeks, increase to 15 minutes twice a day.

If you can do more than 30 minutes, you will get extra benefits. Over the course of the week, try to incorporate different types of activities.

Try to reduce the time you spend sitting down – break that time up as often as you can.

For many in this age bracket, we strongly suggest you talk to one of the team at PACE Health Management to make sure your exercise is safe and suited to you.

Key Points

It’s important to know that some of these times and recommendations can be a little daunting to those who are relatively new to exercise - and that’s ok!

Even small increases in the amount of exercise you perform can have great benefits for your health and well being. So, our advice is to start small, create a SMART goal and go from there.

Find what works for you and enjoy the health benefits!

Mark Simpson