The greatest benefits to our physical and mental health comes when we go from doing no physical activity at all to doing just a little bit!

We can all move more in our day to day life to see these benefits.

Being active is really good for your body, mind and health – and there are lots of easy ways you and your family can get moving towards an active lifestyle.

Being healthy generally means taking care of your body by choosing a range of healthy lifestyle choices. Though being and staying healthy can seem like a challenge, the information and links provided below can help you to assess your current health and help you make improvements towards a healthier, happier lifestyle.

This section provides you with guidance on how much physical activity we should all be doing to keep healthy, for under 5s, children and young people, adults and older adults - scroll down for more information.

Working alongside our partners, we here at Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport want to provide and promote physical activity and sport opportunities to encourage people to move more often.

The sub-pages below provide further information advice on being active in your local community, living a healthy and active lifestyle at home, at school and at work.

There are many ways busy mums and dads, families, young people, office workers and older adults can build physical activity into their lives. Being physically active is easier than you think, especially if you make activity part of your daily routine.

The amount of activity you need to do each week depends on your age...

Active children from birth to 5 years old are healthy, happy, school ready and sleep better. It is important to establish high levels of physical activity as early as possible to encourage children to stay active enough to benefit their health and to support continued interest and participation throughout adult life.

All children should be encouraged to be active throughout the day, every day

• Children who are not yet walking should be encouraged from birth to do simple activities such as tummy time, enabling them to reach and roll for their favourite toy or acting out some nursery rhymes!
• Children capable of walking should be physically active for at least 3 hours each day. Play hide and seek, put some music on and move to the beat or more energetic activity like active play in the park, swimming and skipping.

The benefits are clear...

• Develop strong bones, muscles and heart
• Develop good motor skills including balance and coordination
• Supports good social skills - great for making new friends
• Helps to maintain a healthy weight
• Helps to enable a child to sleep well
• Boosts a child's confidence and emotional skills

Children and young people should take part in appropriate physical activity every day and should minimise the amount of time spent sitting for long periods of time.

To maintain a basic level of health, children and young people aged 5 to 18 need to do...

• At least 1 hour of physical activity each day. This can be playing tag with friends, walk/cycle/scoot to school, helping with some household chores(!) or sports such as gymnastics or tennis. 30 minutes of their daily target can and should be achieved at school.

AND

• At least 3 days a week of exercises for strength and balance for their muscles and bones, such as skipping, hopping and swinging on playground equipment.

The benefits they (and you) will feel include...

• Improved attention levels at school
• Develops coordination
• Strengthens muscles and bones
• Maintains a healthy weight
• Sleep better zzz...
• Improved mood and feel good

To stay healthy or improve health, adults aged 19 to 64 years need to do 2 types of physical activity each week: aerobic exercise and strength exercises...

• 2 1/2 hours each week of moderate activity (that's when we increase our heart rate and breath a bit harder) such as walking round the block, doing some housework or going for a bike ride.

OR...

• 1 1/4 hours each week of vigorous activity (breathing hard and fast) like running, riding a bike fast or on hills or football.

(or a mix of both moderate and vigorous activity each week)

AND

• Strength and balance exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all your major muscles such as exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, heavy gardening or yoga.

You will feel the benefits of...

• Having better physical health
• Feel happier
• Have more energy
• Feel relaxed and less stressed
• Make new friendships
• Create active memories with family and friends

To stay healthy or to improve health, older adults aged 65 years and over need to do 2 types of physical activity each week: aerobic exercise and strength exercises...

• 2 1/2 hours each week of moderate activity (that's when we increase our heart rate and breath a bit harder) such as going out for a scenic walk (and some lunch of course!), attending an exercise class or unloading and carrying the shopping.

OR...

• 1 1/4 hours each week of vigorous activity (breathing hard and fast) like aerobics, singles tennis or swimming fast.

(or a mix of both moderate and vigorous activity every week)

AND

• Strength and balance exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all your major muscles such as exercises like sit-ups, heavy gardening or yoga.

The benefits are clear...

• Feel happier
• Have better physical and mental health
• Better balance and reduce the risk of falls
• Makes friendships and reduce isolation
• Improve your sleep zzz...
• Create active memories with family and friends