The elements of the National Physical Activity Guidelines

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The elements of the National Physical Activity
Guidelines
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History

• Prior to 1990, the focus of activity promotion
  was to improve the cardio-vascular functions of
  the body. The recommended levels of activity were
  for people to engage in vigorous activity (heart
  rate levels of between 60 90 or O2 uptake of
  between 50 85) three to five days a week for a
  duration of 15 60 minutes per session.

• Australia revised these guidelines and
  recommended vigorous or aerobic exercise for a
  minimum duration of 20 minutes at least 3 time a
  week.

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History

• By 1996, research studies showed a very small
  proportion of people were meeting the fitness
  based guidelines, and the focus switched to
  potential health gains through participation in
  regular physical activities of a less intense
  nature. These studies recommended that
  significant health gains could be obtained
  through engaging in moderate-intensity physical
  activity on most days of the week.
• Following these recommendations, the Guidelines
  were revised once again to include lifestyle
  physical activities within all domains of
  physical activity.

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Definitions for the Guidelines

• Physical activity refers to any activity that
  involves significant movement of the body or
  limbs.
• Health, in this instance, refers to metabolic
  well-being as reflected in low risk levels of
  blood fats, blood pressure and body weight as
  well as general physical and mental well-being.
• Exercise is a type of physical activity defined
  as a planned, structured and repetitive body
  movement done to improve or maintain physical
  fitness.

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Definitions for the Guidelines

• Fitness relates to the capacity of the heart and
  lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the working
  muscles and the capacity of the muscles to use
  oxygen to produce the energy for movement.
• Movement is defined here as any motion of the
  body and limbs.
• Moderate-intensity physical activity will cause a
  slight, but noticeable, increase in breathing and
  heart rate and may cause light sweating in some
  people.

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The Guidelines

• The guidelines are an indication of what is
  recommended minimum amount of exercise each
  person does to enhance their health. These
  guidelines are based on what is recommended for
  adults

• Guidelines 1 3 are not intended for high levels
  of fitness, sports training or weight loss. The
  best results are achieved by carrying out all 3
  guidelines and by combining an active lifestyle
  with healthy eating.

• Guideline 4 is for those who are able, and wish,
  to achieve greater health and fitness benefits.

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Guideline 1

• Think of movement as an opportunity, not an
  inconvenience.

• Where any form of movement of the body is seen as
  an opportunity for improving health, not as a
  time-wasting inconvenience.

• Due to the improvements in our technology, people
  are becoming more inactive as machines do more of
  the physical work for us. As a result obesity and
  other health problems are increasing.
• To combat this, we need to view all movement as
  an opportunity, rather than an inconvenience, and
  in doing so taking the first steps towards
  improved health.

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Guideline 2

• Be active every day in as many ways as you can.

• Make a habit of walking or cycling instead of
  using the car, or do things yourself instead of
  using labour-saving machines.

• Small increases in daily activity can be achieved
  through small changes to your activities
  throughout the day.

• Examples riding your bike or walking instead of
  driving or catching a lift, taking the stairs
  instead of the lift, doing some gardening, walk
  and/or play with your pets.

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Guideline 3

• Put together at least 30 minutes of moderate
  intensity physical activity on most, preferably
  all, days.

• You can accumulate your 30 minutes (or more)
  throughout the day by combining a few shorter
  sessions of activity of around 10 to 15 minutes
  each.

• Moderate-intensity activity will cause a slight,
  but noticeable, increase in your breathing and
  heart rate. A good example of moderate-intensity
  activity is brisk walking, that is at a pace
  where you are able to comfortably talk but not
  sing.

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Guideline 3

• Research has shown that accumulated short bouts
  of moderate intensity activity are just as
  effective as continuous activity at improving
  indicators of health such as blood pressure and
  blood cholesterol.
• So you can
• accumulate your 30 minutes or more throughout
  the day by combining a few shorter sessions of
  activity of around 10 to 15 minutes each or
• do 30 minutes or more continuously.
• Moderate-intensity activity should, however, be
  carried out for at least 10 minutes at a time
  without stopping.

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Guideline 4

• If you can, also enjoy some regular, vigorous
  activity for extra health and fitness.

• This guideline does not replace Guidelines 1-3.
  Rather, it adds an extra level for those who are
  able, and wish, to achieve greater health and
  fitness benefits.

• Research has shown that people who participate in
  regular vigorous activity can get health and
  fitness benefits over and above the benefits they
  get from increasing daily movement or regular
  moderate-intensity activity. This includes extra
  protection against heart disease.

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Guideline 4

• Vigorous implies activity, which makes you
  huff and puff, and where talking in full
  sentences between breaths is difficult. In
  technical terms this is exercise at a heart rate
  of 70-85 of maximum heart rate (MHR), where MHR
  is calculated as 220 minus your age. Vigorous
  exercise can come from active sports such as
  football, squash, netball and basketball, and
  activities such as aerobics, circuit training,
  speed walking, jogging, fast cycling or brisk
  rowing. For best results, this type of activity
  should be carried out for a minimum of around 30
  minutes on 3 to 4 days a week.

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What the Guidelines do not include

• In each of the 4 Guidelines, the time and
  activities that are suggested do not include the
  warm up and cool down phases for the activities.
  These will still need to be added on, especially
  a stretching routine.
• These guidelines are to be followed in
  conjunction with a balanced, healthy diet.

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Children (5 12 years) guidelines

• Children need at least 60 minutes (and up to
  several hours) of moderate to vigorous physical
  activity every day.
• Children should not spend more than two hours a
  day using electronic media for entertainment
  (e.g. computer games,TV, Internet), particularly
  during daylight hours.
• A range of activities that suit skills, interest
  and abilities should be undertaken.

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Youth (12 18 years) Guidelines

• At least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous
  activity every day to keep healthy.
• There should be a range of different activities.
• No more than 2 hours in total using all
  electronic forms of media (eg. Internet, DVDs,
  computer games, email, etc.)

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Guidelines for Older People

• Older people still follow the National PA
  guidelines for adults.
• Strength and balance training are recommended to
  reduce the risk of falls and to increase
  mobility.
• Activities will tend to be of a more gentle
  nature (eg gardening, tai chi) but still lead to
  health benefits.

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Recommendations for Overweight and Obese People

• 55 - 60 of the population are overweight.
• For those who are just restarting physical
  activity it is recommended that moderate
  intensity activity is accumulated over 30 minutes
  on most days of the week for achieving long-term
  behaviour change.
• To achieve weight loss (beyond the health benefit
  mentioned above), it appears that the necessary
  amount of physical activity is 60 minutes of
  light-moderate intensity activity accumulated
  over the course of the day, on most days of the
  week.
• Evidence shows that about 60 to 90 minutes of
  activity accumulated over the course of the day
  on most days of the week is probably best for
  effective weight maintenance once weight has been
  lost.
• In general, those activities where the body
  weight is not supported (e.g. walking) are more
  effective for weight loss than weight-supported
  activities (e.g. swimming). However, weight
  supported activities are a useful means of
  helping patients with locomotor difficulties to
  become active.

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Recommendations for Overweight and Obese Children

• More physical activity than the levels currently
  being engaged in should be prescribed to help
  manage obesity in children and adolescents. The
  more physical activity undertaken, the less
  stringent the dietary restriction needs to be to
  achieve an energy deficit.
• Activities should be prescribed in accordance
  with the childs age.
• There are at least four types of activity to
  explore
• structured organised activities such as swimming
  lessons, sporting clubs, dance, scouts, youth
  clubs
• less structured activities such as family walks,
  long bike rides
• lifestyle activities such as walking part or all
  of the way to school, using stairs, doing chores
  around the house
• spontaneous activities such as inviting friends
  over to play, going to the pool for fun.

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Recommendations for Overweight and Obese Children

• A few hours of organised sport a week will not
  counteract hours of daily inactivity. The
  following need to be considered
• the activity level of the family unit
• types of activities in which the child/adolescent
  feels comfortable
• when and where the child/adolescent is most
  active
• choices of activity/inactivity in free time
• what normally occurs after school
• how much time is spent outside
• barriers to being physically inactive (safety,
  transport, costs, time issues)
• knowledge and perception of neighbourhood
  facilities for physical activities.

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Domains of Physical Activity
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Occupational Activity

• These are physical activities that are undertaken
  each day as part of a persons employment.
• Eg, builder (lifting frames), courier (delivering
  parcels), clerk (typing and delivery messages.).

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Household/gardening activity

• These are physical activities that a person does
  at home outside of their work hours.
• Activities include gardening, cleaning, painting,
  mowing the lawns.

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Leisure time activity

• These are physical activities in which a person
  chooses to participate in. The can be either
  individual, social or competitive, or a
  combination.
• Eg. golf, tennis, basketball, lawn bowls.

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Active transportation activity

• These physical activities are based on allowing a
  person to get from one place to another. They
  often are replacing modern means of
  transportation.
• Eg., running, bike-riding, walking.

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Physical Activity Pyramid

• The Physical Activity Pyramid provides a
  framework for educating people about the types of
  physical activities to enhance fitness, health
  and well-being.

• For optimal health benefits, participation in all
  levels of the pyramid is required each week.

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Dimensions of Physical Activity

• Type/behaviours of activity
• F.I.T.
• F Frequency (how often per week)
• I Intensity (how vigorous the activity)
• T Time/repetition (activity time length/ no. of
  repeated actions)

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Level 1 Lifetime physical activity

• These are activities that can be performed at
  anytime, anywhere with minimal equipment and can
  be done either alone or with others.
• F All or most days of the week
• I Moderate
• T 30 minutes

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Level 2 Active Aerobic Activity and Active
Spots and Recreation

• These activities consist of aerobic activities
  (eg bike riding, running, swimming) and active
  sport and recreational activities(eg dancing,
  tennis, basketball).
• F 3 6 days per week
• I Moderate to Vigorous
• T 20 minutes

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Level 3 Exercise for Flexibility, Strength and
Muscular Endurance

• These activities are specifically focussed upon
  improving muscular strength, endurance and
  flexibility.
• Flexibility
• F 3 7 days per week
• I stretching
• T 15 60 seconds, 1 3 sets
• Muscular strength/endurance
• F 2 3 days per week
• I Muscle overload (fatigue)
• T 8 12 reps, 1 3 sets

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Level 4 Inactivity or Rest

• These are sedentary activities where movement is
  minimal. These activities need to be kept to a
  minimum.
• F Infrequent
• I Low
• T Short