What is physical activity?

Physical activity can mean:

  • Simple, everyday activities - such as gardening, cleaning and walking to catch a bus
  • Exercise - such as cycling, swimming or working out
  • Sports - such as playing football, golf, or netball.

It should be easy to fit in more everyday activities into your normal routine but if you feel you fancy trying a new exercise or sport, why not use our search to help you find the right one for you!

What activity you choose to do can be done at three different levels of intensity:

Light intensity

This would include light housework, light gardening, and walking at normal speed; activities that shouldn't make you feel any different from usual. As a rule, they don't involve lots of extra energy and so wouldn't make you breathe harder or feel any warmer.

Moderate intensity

Energetic housework and gardening, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing and resistance training at a gym fit into this category. It includes any activity that makes you breathe a little heavier than normal and feel warmer, but it shouldn't make you feel too hot, sweaty or out of breath.

High intensity

Activities such as fast cycling, running, football and aerobics will all make you breathe faster and deeper, and make you feel hot.

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