How often, how much, for how long?
Walk every day! The Premiers Physical Activity Taskforce, WA Department of Health and the National Heart Foundation recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, on most days of the week.
Brisk walking is walking at an energetic pace that still allows you to talk without any huffing and puffing.
The good news is that the 30 minutes doesn't have to be done all at once. It can be done in blocks of ten minutes or more, if this suits your routine better.
It is also important to participate in other opportunities to be active when you can.
When you're using your pedometer to count steps, aim for 10,000 steps each day, you can build up to this gradually. Thirty minutes of walking equals about 3000 steps, so it is very important to be active and walk at other times of the day. Other short bursts of activity towards your 10,000 steps might include:
- using the stairs instead of the lift or escalator
- parking your car a little further away from your destination
- walking to the shops
- walking to a colleagues office instead of sending an email
Being more active is great. Add healthy eating to the equation and you'll feel even better!
By measuring your walking activity you can see how much more you may need to do to gain a health benefit.
