Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger, helps control your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight, and improves your mood and your sleep.
For an adult, the general goal is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, for example 30 minutes five days a week. If you have heart disease, your doctor will tell you how much and how.
How to do it safely
- Warm up for 5 to 7 minutes with gentle movements of all your joints.
- Do dynamic exercise: walking, riding a bike, swimming or dancing.
- Cool down for 5 minutes at the end, slowing your pace and stretching gently.
- If you can’t talk while you exercise, you are going too hard: lower the intensity.
- Exercise only when you feel well. After a full meal, wait about 2 hours.
- Drink water before, during and after, unless your doctor has limited how much fluid you can have.
- Wear comfortable clothes and proper shoes. Don’t wear waist trainers or plastic wraps to sweat more: you only lose water and minerals.
- If you stop exercising for a while, start again with half of what you used to do.
Questions to ask your doctor
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My questions about Safe physical activity