These are the minimum amounts recommended for a healthy body. Longer exercise time, or more days per week are better!

Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

• Physical activity can help prevent heaps of health conditions including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and type 2 diabetes.
• Daily physical activity helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, helps prevent osteoporosis, and helps reduce obesity, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and symptoms of arthritis.
• Any exercise is better than none, so start slowly and build up. If you need to, do three 10-minute walks to make up half an hour of activity.
• Aim to be active on most days.
• Try to limit the amount you sit down each day.
• Muscle strengthening activities are important – try to do these on at least two days a week. This could be made up of body weight exercises like squats, lunges or push-ups, labour-intensive chores like gardening, or resistance training at the gym.
• Choosing activities that you enjoy mean you will be more likely to keep them up.
• Motivate and encourage your friends and family by being active together or in a group.

For more information on physical activity, see Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.

Note: check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.