Physical activity
How active we are plays an important part in our overall health and wellbeing. Find out how being physically active benefits our health.
Health benefits of physical activity
Physical activity can:
- lower your risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers
- improve your heart, lung and muscle health
- help you manage anxiety, depression and stress
- help you to live a longer, healthier life.
Doing any physical activity is good for your health. Choosing an activity that you enjoy with whānau or friends can also be a fun way to be more active.
By also eating a range of nourishing food and sleeping well we can achieve even greater health benefits.
Tamariki under 5 years
Regular active play, limited sitting and enough good-quality sleep are important for the healthy growth and development of tamariki.
From birth to 5 years of age, tamariki experience a significant amount of physical, mental and socio-emotional development. Movement, through play, encourages this development. It can help tamariki to grow:
- physically
- socially
- emotionally
- spiritually.
More detailed information is available on the Ministry of Health website.
Risky play
Climbing and exploring the outdoors benefits tamariki and their mental, social and physical development. This is called 'risky play'.
Supervised risky play allows tamariki to experience vital emotions such as hesitation, excitement, fear and joy. This encourages their ability to judge a situation and activity they are in. Adults empowering tamariki to take part in risky play builds trust and will support them in achieving their goals.
Always make sure to avoid serious risk to your tamariki by being aware of hazards in their play environment. A risk is a challenge tamariki can learn to recognise and determine for themselves whether to engage with it or not. A hazard is a danger in the environment that can result in a serious injury.
Tamariki and rangatahi (5 to 17 years)
For school-aged tamariki and rangatahi (aged 5 to 17 years) high levels of movement and play, low levels of sedentary activities, and enough sleep daily can achieve additional health benefits. It can help to support:
- stronger bones
- enhanced learning and thinking
- improved social development.
To get the most out of the benefits of physical activity, tamariki and rangatahi should aim to:
- do an average of 1 hour a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity over the week
- take part in muscle and bone strengthening activities 3 days a week
- sit less and move more, breaking up sitting time
- limit recreational screen time.
Moderate physical activities can include:
- walking or cycling to school
- playing outside
- sports
- helping out with chores around the house.
More detailed information is available on the HealthEd website.
Adults
Each week, adults should aim to do:
- at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity — this can be spread out during the week
- muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days.
Adults can achieve extra health benefits each week by doing either:
- 5 hours of moderate physical activity
- 2.5 hours of vigorous physical activity.
This can be spread out during the week.
Examples of moderate physical activity include:
- actively playing with children
- strenuous gardening
- brisk walking and biking
- household chores such as vacuuming or washing the car.
More detailed information is available on the HealthEd website.
Older people
The following recommendations apply to all older people in New Zealand — adjust to individual needs and abilities.
Older people who are not frail should:
- be as physically active as possible and limit sedentary behaviour
- consult an appropriate health professional before starting or increasing physical activity
- start off slowly and build up to the recommended daily physical activity levels
- aim to do aerobic activity on 5 days each week for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity, or 15 minutes if it is of vigorous intensity or a mixture of both.
- aim to do 3 sessions of flexibility and balance activities, and 2 sessions of muscle-strengthening activities per week.
Older people who are frail should:
- be as physically active as possible and limit sedentary behaviour
- consult an appropriate health professional before starting or increasing physical activity
- start off slowly and build up to the recommended physical activity levels
- aim for a mixture of low impact aerobic, resistance, balance and flexibility activities
- discuss with their healthcare provider about whether vitamin D tablets would benefit them.
Tips for staying active when you are older (internal link)
More detailed information is available on the Ministry of Health website.