Physical Activity

National Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour, and Sleep Recommendations for Children (Birth to 5 years)

The Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (Birth to 5 years) show there is an important relationship between how much sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity young children get in a 24-hour period

Australia’s Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Children (5-12 years)

Being physically active is good for kids’ health, and creates opportunities for making new friends and developing physical and social skills. These Guidelines are for all children aged 5-12 years who have started school, irrespective of cultural background, gender or ability.

Australia’s Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Young People (13 -17 years)

As young people move through school, start work and become more independent, being physically active and limiting sedentary behaviour every day is not always easy, but it is possible and it is important. These guidelines are for all young people, irrespective of cultural background, gender or ability.

Australia’s Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Adults (18-64 years)

Being physically active and limiting your sedentary behaviour every day is essential for health and wellbeing. These guidelines are for all adults aged 18 – 64 years, irrespective of cultural background, gender or ability.

Physical Activity Recommendations for Older Australians (65 years and older)

Being physically active and staying fit and healthy will help you to get the most out of life, whatever your age. These recommendations are designed to help older Australians achieve sufficient physical activity for good health as they age

Make your Move – Sit Less – Be Active for Life! – A resource for Families

Provides information about the benefits of being physically active, and offers steps that you and your family can take towards better health, at any age.

• Physical activity and exercise
• About physical activity and exercise

Calgary – The evolution of the active economy

by David Legg and David Finch, Mount Royal University

The past few years have been volatile for Calgary’s sport and recreation sector. Every week, it seemed, we debated and questioned our commitment to being a city that promoted and supported an active life. We considered Calgarians as members of an Olympic city, one that embraced, celebrated and aspired to lead in sport and recreation, as well as health and wellness. But was this still true?

50 sport leaders from Calgary and the surrounding area met to debate the future of sport. Three takeaways emerged:

1. We concluded that “sport business” was the wrong term to describe ourselves. We collectively decided to start using “active city.”
2. The people we invited didn’t really know each other. We had assumed they would already know one another.
3. This group genuinely wanted to connect and collect, which was reaffirmed when most delegates stayed well past the session’s ending time. And lunch wasn’t even provided!

From this meeting, we concluded that Calgary’s rich regional active ecosystem was fragmented and inefficient. The result was its contribution to Calgary’s economic, human, social and environmental prosperity was being underleveraged.

The response was to create the ActiveCITY Collective: a collaboration of not-for-profit, for-profit and public-sector organizations as well as individuals engaged in Calgary’s regional active economy.

Read Full Article

Can exercise counter the health problems caused by poor sleep quality?

Here are two things you already know are good for you: exercise, and sleep.

But just how much of an effect do they have on your risk of dying? And is one more powerful a protectant than the other?

A group of researchers has been looking into exactly this, focusing on how sleep and physical activity interact with your risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Guest: Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney

Host: Tegan Taylor
Producer: Sarah Sedghi
ABC Radio National

Duration: 7min 16sec
Broadcast: Mon 12 Jul 2021, 5:33pm

Heart Health Benefits of Running

Running is one of the most popular athletic activities for both fitness and fun. Although it can be challenging and exhausting, men and women run every day for a variety of reasons. Some of the most significant benefits of the sport are health-related. Improving heart health is one of the biggest motivators for people who choose to start running. Many people also begin a training program to lose weight and better their mental health.

Running is more potent in creating positive results when there is day to day consistency. Training should build up gradually—depending on an individual’s fitness level—to ensure desired results. Read More

Source
Sarah Gerhrke
Pacific Medical Training

Physical Activity is an $828 Billion Market

Global Wellness Institute releases first-ever research report on the six-sector global physical activity economy, including the fitness, sports & active recreation, mindful movement, equipment, apparel/footwear and technology markets. New data pushes wellness to a $4.5 trillion industry

Singapore – October 15, 2019 – The Global Wellness Institute™ (GWI), a nonprofit research and educational resource for the world wellness industry, today released its major research report for 2019: “Move To Be Well: The Global Economy of Physical Activity.” In 2018, the GWI found that the fitness/mind-body market was worth $595 billion, and this new research broadens the scope of that segment to the “physical activity economy,” which is now valued at $828.2 billion globally, and includes the sports and active recreation, fitness, and mindful movement core segments—along with the supporting markets of equipment and supplies, apparel and footwear, and technology.

With this new data, wellness jumps to a $4.5 trillion global market.

Read Full Story

Active and Inactive Young Australians

An Independent Review of Research into Enablers and Barriers to Participation in
Sport, Active Recreation and Physical Activity among Children and Adolescents.

The purpose of this review is to identify what is known about barriers and enablers of participation in physical activity (including sport and active recreation) among children and young people aged 3-18 years, living in Australia. It has been compiled at the request of the NSW Office of Sport and primarily for consideration by the Committee of Australian Sport and Recreation Officials (CASRO).  Read More

Citation
Bellew, B., Rose, C., Reece, L. Active and Inactive Young Australians. An Independent Review of Research into Enablers and Barriers to Participation in Sport, Active Recreation and Physical Activity among Children and Adolescents. Produced for the NSW Office of Sport by the SPRINTER Research Group, Prevention Research Collaboration, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, 2020.

Including Children and Youth with Disabilities in the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines

The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth use the tagline Sweat, Step, Sleep, Sit and a logo in the shape of a “4” to represent a “new movement paradigm that emphasizes the integration of all movement behaviours occurring over a whole day” – moderate to vigorous physical activity (“sweat”), light physical activity (“step”), sleep, and sedentary behaviours (“sit”). But what about the kids and teens who cannot stand, step, or sweat? The Guidelines do not include any evidence-based recommendations for children and youth with a disability.

To address this gap, a team of researchers from Queen’s University and the University of British Columbia set out to learn more about the potential inclusivity of the “sweat, step, sleep, sit” guidelines, and how the resource can be adapted for kids and teens of all abilities. Handler and colleagues (2019) interviewed 15 mothers of children and youth ages 6-17 with diverse physical and intellectual disabilities about their perceptions of the guidelines, and whether or not they considered them to be inclusive. READ MORE

Source
Sport Information Resource Centre, Canada

Why developing physical literacy is so important for kids

There are lots of factors that influence how active kids are, including how active their parents are, and whether their homes, schools, and neighbourhoods are good places to play. One thing’s for sure though: kids are more active when they’re having fun.

Yet what if your kids say that playing sports, skipping rope, riding their bikes, going for a hike, or even running around outside isn’t “fun” for them. What if they’d rather play video games or watch a show than go out and play? Read More

Source: Active for Life

Australia’s Health Tracker 2019

Australia’s Health Tracker is a set of national report cards tracking the health risk factors in the Australian population that contribute to preventable chronic diseases. It includes Australia’s Adult Health Tracker and Australia’s Children and Young People Health Tracker.

Chronic disease is the biggest health challenge of the 21st century. Australia lags well behind comparable countries in preventing and reducing the main risk factors that contribute to the poor health of people and to the rising rate of preventable chronic diseases in the Australian population.

The health of Australian men & women

Distinct health & welfare needs related to gender & biological sex

Men and women have distinct health and welfare needs and concerns related to their gender and biological sex. This is illustrated by different rates of injury, illness and mortality; different attitudes towards health and other risks; the way each group uses health services; and differences in their health outcomes and wellbeing.

There are important biological and behavioural differences between men and women that lead to different health and welfare outcomes throughout life. By understanding these differences targeted interventions can be applied.  Read More

Source
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

See also: Australia’s Health Tracker 2019

Physical Activity
World Health Organisation

Physical activity at any intensity linked to lower risk of early death

A multi-national team of researchers, including authors from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), have produced clear evidence that higher levels of physical activity—regardless of intensity—are associated with a lower risk of early death in middle aged and older people.
Read More

Source:
National Institute for Health Research (UK)
Medical Press

Good cardiovascular health in midlife linked to lower risk of dementia later

It has been known for some time that what is good for your heart is good for your brain. But understanding how, and to what extent, your cardiovascular health might affect your risk of developing dementia is tremendously complex.

A study published on August 7, 2019 in the BMJ has found adults with good cardiovascular health at the age of 50 have lower rates of dementia later in life.

Read Full Story

Economic, Social and Health Impacts of Sport and Active Recreation in Queensland

Sport and active recreation provide large benefits to Queenslanders, through various economic and social channels. Total economic and social benefits are estimated to be in the order of $18 billion, an amount equivalent to around 5% of Gross State Product (GSP).

The sport and active recreation sector directly and indirectly supports economic activity and jobs across Queensland. Sport and active recreation are estimated to make an economic contribution of around $5 billion per annum, or nearly 1½ % of GSP.

The development of the Comprehensive Analysis of Policy on Physical Activity (CAPPA) framework

Introduction
Policy analysis is considered essential for achieving successful reforms in health promotion and public health. The only framework for physical activity (PA) policy analysis was developed at a time when the field of PA policy research was in its early stages. PA policy research has since grown, and our understanding of what elements need to be included in a comprehensive analysis of PA policy is now more refined. This study developed a new conceptual framework for PA policy analysis–the Comprehensive Analysis of Policy on Physical Activity(CAPPA) framework.

Read Full Article

Physical Activity: Every bit counts

Tips on staying active this winter

Is the colder weather freezing you in place when you should be keeping active?

Taking part with disabled people: Non-disabled people’s perceptions

A new report from the Activity Alliance in the UK shines a light on non-disabled people’s attitudes on inclusive activity with disabled people.

Recommendations

• Increase public awareness of disabled people, especially in relation to being active. This must aim to challenge perceptions and create a more accurate and diverse picture of active disabled people among their non-disabled peers.
• Embed inclusivity in many more opportunities so disabled and non-disabled people can be active together.
• Celebrate and share experiences of inclusive activity with representation for all impairment groups.

Read More

No time to exercise?

Have you recently carried heavy shopping bags up a few flights of stairs? Or run the last 100 metres to the station to catch your train?

If you have, you may have unknowingly been doing a style of exercise called high-intensity incidental physical activity  … incorporating more high-intensity activity into our daily routines — whether that’s by vacuuming the carpet with vigour or walking uphill to buy your lunch — could be the key to helping all of us get some high-quality exercise each day. Read More

Healthy Active by Design

The Heart Foundation has, since 1959, been fighting the single biggest killer of Australians – heart disease. Almost 1.5 million of us live with heart disease and each year more than 55,000 Australians suffer a heart attack.

One of the key ways of improving heart health is to increase physical activity levels – and we know that improving the design of our cities, towns, streets and buildings makes it easier for Australians to lead heart-healthy lives.

Alongside its internationally recognised research, the Heart Foundation also advocates for environmental and behavioural changes to provide all Australians with opportunities to be healthy and active throughout their lives in the places they live, study, work and play.

Few Australians Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines

A new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIWH) reveals that, across all ages, few Australians meet recommended physical activity guidelines.

Physical activity across the life stages shows that, overall, only 30% of children aged between two and 17 years and 44% of adults meet guidelines that call for adults aged between 18 to 64 years to undertake at least 150 minutes of activity a week over five sessions and children/youth aged five to 17 years to be active for at least 60 minutes per day.

Aussies could walk their way to healthier hearts

Nine in 10 Australians could reduce their risk of heart disease simply by walking as little as 15 minutes more each day, the Heart Foundation said following a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

Why Walking Is So Good for Parents, Toddlers, and the Cities Where They Live

Planning and managing cities has become one of humanity’s defining challenges, yet it is hard to know how to plan for what a city needs now and in the future at the same time. What can we measure to determine if a city is functioning well for its residents today and is likely to live up to its full potential in the long run?

One answer: The daily life of a toddler

Sustrans Active Travel Toolbox

The Sustrans Active Travel Toolbox provides guides, resources, tools and case studies to help local authorities and their partners make the case for and improve walking and cycling schemes. The toolbox is also designed to help you plan and deliver walking and cycling schemes in your local area.

Note: UK Based

Inactivity Epidemic

Despite growing awareness about the importance of exercise and a nationwide campaign to ‘move more and sit less‘, almost 60 per cent of Australian adults are still not doing enough physical activity.

A new study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, comparing National Health Survey data over 20 years, found that we have not improved our activity levels since 1989

Running on a High

Sporting or physical recreation event participation can affect different domains of mental and social well-being if sufficiently frequent, yet previous research has focused mainly on the physical health benefits of single-location or infrequent mass-participation events. We examined overall and domain specific subjective well-being of adult participants of “parkrun”, a weekly, community-based, highly accessible and widespread running event.

Benefits of Exercise

The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore.  You know exercise is good for you, but do you know how good? From boosting your mood to improving your sex life, find out how exercise can improve your life

Physical Activity Guidelines

Key Messages

1. Governments have a central role in providing evidence-based guidelines for health and lifestyle enhancing physical activity across all age-groups.
2. Governments and stakeholders can use physical activity guidelines to shape policy and implement relevant strategies.
3. The total economic cost of physical inactivity to the Australian economy is substantial, it consists of increased health care costs, lost productivity, and premature mortality.
4. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global strategy on physical activity, advocating a mixture of ‘top-down’ and community-based actions.

Source
Clearinghouse for Sport

Be Active Every Day

Many Australian adults aren’t active enough to get health benefits. Are you one of them?

How much activity to aim for

We support Australia’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines. They recommend for adults:

• Any physical activity is better than none. It’s fine to start with a little, and build up.
• Be active on most, preferably all, days every week.
• Aim to accumulate 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity each week.
• Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week

Source
Heart Foundation

Active Transport

Walking and cycling are popular activities that can take many different forms, including: leisure-time activity, exercise and fitness, recreation, sport, and walking or cycling used as a mode of transport. Active transport refers to unassisted travel (walking) or non-motorised (bicycle) transportation with an intended destination. There is a great deal of overlap or synergy between walking and cycling used as active transport and similar activity intended for social, recreational, and health outcomes.

Active transport has many demonstrated benefits – personal (health and fitness), social (community connectivity), environmental (reduced carbon footprint) and economic (infrastructure costs).

Key Messages

1. Walking and cycling used as a mode of transport can contribute to personal health and fitness objectives.
2. Engaging in active transport can have positive economic, environmental and social outcomes.
3. Active transport is one of the most effective means of increasing levels of physical activity within a community.

Source
Clearinghouse for Sport

Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines

This page contains Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines including links to brochures, a summary fact sheet for each of the guidelines, tips and ideas for how to be physically active, as well as evidence review reports.