Physical Activity according to WHO – How Much Exercise Do We Need?

Exercise has a beneficial effect on our cardiovascular system, metabolism, skeletal condition and muscles, and also reduces the risk of gaining excess weight, obesity and complications that go with it. In addition, I always emphasize that being active improves your mood! A simple walk is a great time to listen to relaxing music or podcasts, while training performed in the comfort of your own home is a time for yourself to vent negative feelings. On the other hand, classes organized in a fitness club can be an active way to spend time with friends. Have you ever wondered how much time a week you spend on physical activity and whether it is enough? In today’s post, I will summarize the most important recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) in this matter ?

 

Energy for physical activity

A number of processes take place in the body during physical exertion. The essential thing to make any movement possible is energy that we derive from various sources. Depending on the source, we can distinguish between two types of activity: aerobic and anaerobic.

The examples of aerobic activity primarily include endurance exercise, such as running, swimming, cycling. When the body’s need for oxygen is greater than its supply, the body begins to use mostly anaerobic energy sources (anaerobic training). To put it simply, this type of activity includes effort of a relatively short duration and high intensity, e.g. sprints or strength exercises.

According to the WHO guidelines, we should focus on aerobic activity on a daily basis. However, it has been emphasized that anaerobic exercise is necessary for additional health benefits. Therefore, it is worth combining both types.

 

Recommendations for physical activity according to WHO

The latest WHO recommendations published in November 2020 (“WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior”) divide the population into different age groups: children and adolescents, adults and people aged 65 and over. There are separate guidelines for pregnant women, postpartum women, and people struggling with diseases and disabilities.

 

• Children and adolescents (5-17 years old)

The minimum recommended amount of activity per day for this age group is 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise combined with high-intensity and strengthening exercise (3 times a week). It was emphasized that the form of activity should be adjusted to the age and abilities of the child, and should also be attractive and fun.

 

• Adults (18-64 years)

Adults should be active for a minimum of 150-300 minutes a week (moderate intensity) or 75-150 minutes (high intensity activity). Training sessions can include both moderate and high intensity.

For additional benefits, it is worth doing exercises to strengthen various muscle groups at least twice a week. If your level of physical activity exceeds the minimum recommended amounts, good for you. WHO points out that this translates to even better health effects and is particularly important when we take into account the current, sedentary lifestyle ?

 

• People aged 65 or over

The recommendations here are similar to those for people aged 18-64: minimum 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75-150 minutes of intensive activity with the addition of strengthening training (twice a week). This age group should try to perform various activities that strengthen coordination and balance (due to the increased risk of falls). Of course, you should adapt the recommendations to your individual limitations, which may result from chronic diseases which are common in the elderly.

 

• Pregnant and postpartum women

If there are no contraindications, expectant mothers should exercise on a regular basis. The same applies to the situation after the birth – however, the doctor should decide when it is possible to return to training.The WHO also mentions stretching exercises which may provide additional benefits to pregnant and postpartum women. If you have any doubts as to whether a given activity will be safe for you, always ask your doctor. 

 

Theory and practice

As you can see, only 2.5 hours of moderate activity a week is enough to take care of your health but it is worth trying to increase this amount. For many of you, fulfilling these recommendations is probably a simple task, but I encourage you to pay attention to whether it is really so. For this purpose, you can write down the approximate time during which you were active for a week, e.g. on your phone or a diary. If you do office work and commute by car, it may turn out that meeting the recommendations is not as easy as it might seem.

The most important question remains: what to do to move more? Once again, I will remind you at this point that small steps do lead to big changes? If you do sedentary work, try to take regular breaks every hour. Get up from your desk, do a few stretching exercises (I recommend Home Office Yoga workouts in the Diet & Training by Ann application), and if possible, go for a short walk. During phone calls you can walk around and thus combine work with activity that will give you a dozen steps more ? Walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift, going to the store on foot, evening training at home (I suggest using my Diet and Training by Ann application for this, you can read more about it HERE), a bike ride – choose what gives you the greatest pleasure and is feasible.

 

Finally, I would like to quote a WHO phrase that appears several times in the recommendations for physical activity: any physical activity (even very low intensity) is better than… none! Take care of yourself and your loved ones, encourage them to be active together. Staying active is an investment in health – keep that in mind ?

 

Bibliography:

1. World Health Organisation. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. 2020
2. Bean A. Żywienie w sporcie. 2019