Small increases in physical activity can bring health benefits, according to research by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) published in May 2010. Based on this research, CSEP and ParticipACTION have released new physical activity recommendations to update Canada’s Physical Activity Guide, including lower thresholds for measurable health benefits from physical activity.

The last version of the guide, published in 2002 suggests a minimum of 30-60 minutes of physical activity every day for adults aged 18-65. However, the new recommendations suggest at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity. The new recommendations outline guidelines for children and older adults as well.

“We hope that these new findings will inspire inactive or sedentary Canadians of all ages to add more physical activity to their lives, as they will reap some health benefits at lower thresholds than originally thought,” says Dr. Mark Tremblay, Chair of the Physical Activity Guidelines Committee of the CSEP. “Plus, all Canadians can achieve better health by increasing the frequency, duration, intensity and variety of their physical activity.  Some is good, but more is clearly better.”

The variety of types and frequency of physical activity remain similar to existing guidelines. The mix of activity should be mostly aerobic (e.g. brisk walking, swimming, raking leaves) and should also include:

• muscle and bone strengthening activities  two to four days a week (e.g., skipping, jumping, tennis, curling and weight training), and
• flexibility activities four to seven days a week (e.g., stretching, martial arts and yoga).

For more information, including a Fact Sheet of the recommendations and links to the supporting research, visit the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology website.