Be Active

Regular physical activity is a great way to keep your heart healthy and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

What is physical activity?

Physical activity is any movement that you do every day. It can be anything from dancing in the kitchen to playing with your children or grandchildren, gardening or going for a walk with a friend. Physical activity also includes things like playing sports or taking part in a fitness class at your local gym. If you are moving, you are being physically active.

Regular physical activity benefits 3 types of health (your physical health, your mental health and your social health). These benefits include:

- lower blood pressure and cholesterol
- better muscle strength and joint mobility
- more energy
- better sleep
- lower feelings of stress
- better motivation
- improved social relationships (if you choose to move with friends or as part of a sports team or fitness class)

How much physical activity should I do?

It can be difficult to know where to start. A great resource is the National Physical Activity Guidelines. They recommend adults are active every week for a total of:

150 minutes (or 2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity activity

75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes) of vigorous-intensity activity. Every move counts and you don’t need to do it all in one go. You could break down 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity into 30 minutes, 5 days a week. You can move in short bursts or longer sessions – every bit of movement adds up.

The guidelines also recommend:

Muscle strengthening exercises – 2 or more days a week (like weightlifting or gym classes, yoga or bodyweight exercises).
Balance exercises – Older adults (aged 65+) should do 3 or more days a week, to improve strength and fitness, and help prevent falls.

Before starting any kind of physical activity, it is important to talk to your doctor. They can give you advice on how to get moving safely, and how often you should be active. This is especially important if you have a pre-existing condition or if you are in recovery from a heart event or stroke.

How do I understand the different levels of physical activity?

When starting to move more, it is important to understand how different levels of activity might feel so you can choose what type of activity is right for you. It is helpful to get into the habit of tuning in to how your body feels during activity. A good guide is to pay attention to your breath:

Light activity – It is easy to breathe and to talk to others as you move.
Moderate activity – You may be breathing heavy during exercise, but you can hold a short conversation.
Vigorous activity – You feel short of breath and can only speak a sentence or
Max effort activity – This is when you feel completely out of breath while moving.

For more information on moderate intensity – Moderate Intensity

I am physically active, but I have to sit a lot for work/school. What does this mean?

Irish people spend about 7 hours a day sitting down, increasing to 8 hours a day for students or office-based workers. Sitting too much, even if you are physically active, can raise your risk of heart disease or stroke. Use our sitting calculator to see how much time you spend seated each day. Calculate your sitting time here – Sitting Calculator

When you can, try cutting down on the amount of time you spend sitting or lying down when you’re not sleeping. A great way to do this is by adding small movement breaks into your day. For every hour of sitting, try to get up and move for a few minutes, whether it is walking to the bathroom or the canteen for a cup of tea, or doing some gentle stretching. Do what you can to move more throughout your day.

Ready to get moving? Here are some tips to get started:

Choose physical activities you enjoy, whether it is dancing, walking, swimming or playing a sport.
Create your own physical activity ‘menu’ full of different ways you love to move. This will help you vary the types of activity you do and stop you feeling bored.
Try getting active with a friend to stay motivated.
Warm up and cool down before/after exercise to reduce the risk of strain or injury. You can warm up with some gentle movement like marching on the spot. Cool down with some light stretching.
Plan time for activity into your diary so it becomes a priority.
Take every opportunity to move throughout the day, for example, always take the stairs or try getting off the bus a stop earlier than usual.
Set yourself an activity goal each week and work towards a challenge like completing a 5km walk.

Always listen to your body. If you feel unwell or have any pain, stop what you’re doing. If you have any pain, pressure or tightness in your chest or if it is difficult to breathe, call 999/112 immediately.