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Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care

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Active Every Day

You will see from your Healthy Habits Booklet that experts recommend that you exercise at at least a "moderate intensity" aiming for 150 minutes on at least 5 days.

 

What is "moderate intensity activity"?

You are exercising at a moderate intensity when you need to breathe faster and your heart rate increases, you may even break into a light sweat. You should still be able to walk while doing these activities.

What if 150 minutes a week seems too much?

  • Start small to begin with. Any increase in the time your are active is good.
  • Set yourself goals to build up the amount of moderate activity you do each week. Your ASCOT advisor will be able to help you with this based on your current activity levels. 
  • Break it down. It works out at least 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. 30 minutes can be broken down into smaller bouts of 10-15 minutes - it all adds up.

What if 10,000 steps seem too much?

  • 10,000 steps is a lot for most people, particularly those who have been affected by cancer. It is actually about 5 miles! Your ASCOT advisor will discuss your current step count (that we measured with the pedometer) and help you set achievable and progressive goals to increase your step count.
  • Even increasing by 1000 or 2000 steps can have a positive effect if your activity levels are low (which often they are after being treated for cancer). As a guide it takes about 10 minutes to walk 1000 steps

Monitor your activity

Find a way that works for your. This could be a pedometer, an application if you are a smartphone user, a map for the distance, or just time yourself with a watch. Write down what you do every day, and try and increase.

Easy switches to help build activity into your day

Make your day more activity with these simple tips:

  • Take the stairs instead of the lift where you can. If using the stairs is painful for your knees, take the lift up, and stairs back down.
  • Try some marching on the spot. You can do this even waiting for the kettle to boil.
  • Park your car further away, or get off the bus earlier if you can.

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