Why getting active matters
A brief overview of the impacts of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on health. For more information see our resources section.
"There is no point in life where doing more exercise does not improve health in multiple ways.”
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, 2020
What can we in primary care do?
As primary care professionals, with our high levels of patient contact and opportunities for health promotion, we can and should be at the forefront of this culture-change, sitting less and moving more in order to live longer, happier and healthier lives, as well as encouraging our patients to do likewise.
Moving more helps people feel better, due to chemical changes in the brain as effective as any antidepressant. People are much more likely to change their behaviour if they believe they will see immediate benefits. Behavioural change psychology dictates that the focus should be on the here and now. Telling people that “moving more will make you feel better today,” is much more effective than saying “exercising for thirty minutes five times a week will reduce your risk of a heart attack in thirty years’ time.”
In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) released their ‘Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour’. These include specific guidance for people of all ages and abilities, but the key take home message is for everyone to be less sedentary as well as being more physically active. In some cases it might be most effective for us to move away from ‘prescribing exercise’ and simply encourage people to move more, because any movement is better than no movement.