Background
Methods
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Any statement on minimum duration of bouts of PA;
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Further recommendations, e.g. for additional health benefits, strength, balance and bone health training or overweight prevention;
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Specific recommendations on extended periods of inactivity or sitting.
Results
Countries | Publication year | ||
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Children/young people | Adults | Older adults/elderly | |
Austria [27] | 2010 | 2010 | 2010 |
Belgium [28] | 2007 | 2007 | |
Denmark [29] | n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
Estonia [30] | 2006* | ||
2005, 2008 | |||
France [33] | 2001*§ | 2001*§ | |
Hungary° | |||
Iceland [34] | 2008*§ | 2008*§ | 2008*§ |
Ireland [35] | 2009 | 2009 | 2009 |
Lithuania° | |||
Luxembourg [36] | n.s. | n.s. | |
Malta [37] | 2010 | 2009 | |
Netherlands [38] | 2005*§ | 2005*§ | 2005*§ |
Norway [26] | 2004 | 2004 | |
Romania° | |||
Russian Federation [39] | 2011*§ | ||
Slovenia [40] | 2007 | ||
Sweden [26] | 2004 | 2004 | |
Switzerland [41] | 2006*§ | 1999*§ | |
Turkey [42] | 2010 | ||
United Kingdom [43] | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
Children and young people
Country | Inactivity | Minimum recommendations | Further recommendations | |||||
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General recommendation | Additional aspects | Bouts | Add. health benefits | |||||
Duration | Intensity | Frequency | Inclusion of vigorous intensity | |||||
WHO [22] | - | At least 60 minutes | Moderate- to vigorous | Daily | Should be incorporated at least 3 times/week | Activities for muscle strength and bone health at least 3 times/week | - | Amounts greater than 60 minutes daily will provide additional health benefits |
Austria [27] | If sitting more than 60 minutes, activity breaks recommended | 60 minutes | At least moderate | Daily | - | Activities for muscle strength and bone health at least 3 times/week, and additional activities to improve coordination and flexibility | No activity too short not to count | - |
Belgium [28] | - | 60 minutes | Moderate | Daily | More intense activity twice a week | - | - | - |
Denmark [29] | - | At least 60 minutes | Moderate | Daily | Vigorous intensity activities of 20–30 minutes at least twice/week for fitness | Vigorous intensity activities of 20–30 minutes at least twice/week for fitness, strength, mobility and bone health | Can be divided into shorter periods | - |
Finland | ||||||||
<7 year olds [32] | - | At least 2 hours | Vigorous | Daily | Only vigorous intensity activities recommended | Train on a daily basis fundamental motor skills in various settings and in a diversified way. Create an environment that encourages children to be active, remove obstacles to physical activity and teach how to move safely in different environments. | - | - |
7-18 year olds [31] | Avoid sitting for more than 2 hours at a time. Not more than 2 hours/day in front of entertainment media. | 1-2 hours | All-round exercise | Daily | - | Exercise for bones, mobility and muscular strength at least 3 times/week | At least 10 minutes | For optimal benefit even more exercise than this should be practiced. |
France [33] | - | 60 minutes | Moderate to vigorous | Daily | - | At least 3 times/week vigorous activities of at least 20 minutes duration of resistance muscle training | - | - |
Iceland [34] | Avoid inactivity and incorporate PA in daily life. Limit daily non-work screen time to two hours. | 60 minutes | - | Daily | - | Diverse activity that promotes fitness including strength | For example 10–15 minutes | - |
Ireland [35] | - | 60 minutes | Moderate to vigorous | Daily | - | 3 times/week strength training | - | - |
Luxembourg [36] | - | 60 minutes | Moderate | Daily | - | 2-3 times/week strength, flexibility and balance training | - | - |
Malta [37] | Decrease non-active time spent on TV, game consoles and surfing the Internet | 30 to 60 minutes | Moderate or vigorous | Daily | - | For best results, include aerobic training, resistance and flexibility exercises | - | - |
Netherlands [38] | - | 60 minutes | Moderate | Daily | - | At least twice a week activity for physical fitness (strength, agility and coordination) | - | - |
Norway [26] | - | 60 minutes | Moderate to vigorous | Daily | - | Activities should be as diverse as possible to develop all aspects of physical fitness (cardio-respiratory, muscle strength, flexibility, speed, mobility, reaction time and coordination) | Can probably be divided into shorter intervals | - |
Sweden [26] | - | 60 minutes | Moderate to vigorous | Daily | - | Activities should be diverse, i.e. include activities on cardio-respiratory fitness, muscle strength, flexibility, speed, mobility, reaction time and coordination | Can probably be broken up into shorter bouts | - |
Switzerland [41] | If sitting more than 120 minutes, activity breaks recommended | Adolescents 1 hour, younger children even longer | Equivalent to at least brisk walking or cycling | Daily | Several times/week activities for cardiovascular health | At least 10 minutes several times/week activities for muscle strength, bone health, cardiovascular health, flexibility and agility | At least 10 minutes | - |
United Kingdom [43] | ||||||||
0-5 years (pre-walking) | Minimize time spent being sedentary/restrained for extended periods (except sleeping) | Activity should be encouraged from birth, particularly through floor-based play and water-based activities in safe environments | - | - | - | |||
0-5 years (walking) | Minimize time spent being sedentary/restrained for extended periods (except sleeping) | 180 minutes | Moderate to vigorous | Daily | - | Movements of all the major muscle groups | - | - |
5-18 years | Minimize time spent being sedentary/restrained for extended periods | At least 60 minutes and up to several hours | Moderate to vigorous | Daily | At least 3 times/week | On at least 3 days/week vigorous intensity activities including those for muscle strength and bone health | - | - |
Adults
Country | Inactivity | Minimum recommendations | Further recommendations | ||||||
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Duration | Combination | Frequency | Bouts | Add. health benefits | Strength, balance etc. | Overweight | |||
Moderate intensity | Vigorous intensity | ||||||||
CDC/ACSM [19] | - | 30 minutes or more | - | - | On most, preferably all, days of the week | Short bouts | - | - | - |
WHO [22] | - | 150 minutes/week | 75 minutes/week | Explicitly stated | Throughout the week | At least 10 minutes | 300 minutes moderate intensity/week, 150 minutes vigorous-intensity/week, or combination | Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days/week | - |
Austria [27] | - | 150 minutes/week* | 75 minutes/week (1 ¼ hours) | Explicitly stated | On most days | At least 10 minutes | 300 minutes moderate intensity/week, 150 minutes vigorous-intensity/week, or combination | Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days/week | - |
Belgium [28] | - | 30 minutes on 5 days/week (or 60 minutes if of low intensity or less than 5 days/week) | 20 minutes on 3 days/week | Explicitly stated | 5 or 3 days/week | At least 10 minutes | More activity can have additional health benefits | Activities for muscular strength and endurance on at least 2 days/week | - |
Denmark [29] | - | At least 30 minutes ideally on 7 days/week | 20-30 minutes on 2 days/week |
*
| Ideally on 7 days/week and 2 days/week, respectively | For example 2 × 15 minutes or 3 × 10 minutes | More activity will have additional health benefits | At least twice a week for at least 20 minutes activities of vigorous intensity for fitness, muscle and bone strength and flexibility | Moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 30 minutes, ideally 7 days/week |
France [33] | - | Activity corresponding to 30 minutes of brisk walking/day | Can be carried out on an individual basis, depending on preference, capacity, health status |
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Iceland [34] | Avoid inactivity and incorporate physical activity into daily life. | 30 minutes | In addition to basic recommendations, do at least two times a week 20-30 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity to promote further fitness including endurance | - | Daily | For example 10-15 minutes | More activity can promote further health benefits | At least twice per week, 20-30 minutes vigorous PA to promote further fitness including strength. | - |
Ireland [35] | - | 30 minutes (or 150 minutes/week) Any amount of physical activity gains some health benefits. | 75 minutes/week | Explicitly stated | 5 days/week | At least 10 minutes | 60 minutes on 5 days/week of moderate intensity | - | To avoid weight gain: at least 350 cal./day (ca. 60 minutes brisk walking or 30 minutes jogging/day) To keep the weight off: 60-90 minutes moderate activity/day To lose weight: 1/3 more than minimum recommendation |
Luxembourg [36] | - | 30 minutes | - | - | Daily | Shorter bouts (e.g. 3 × 10 minutes) possible | - | 2 to 3 times/week strength, flexibility and balance training | - |
Malta [37] | - | 30 minutes or more | - | - | On most, preferably all days of the week | Ideally at least 10 minutes but even shorter bouts contribute significantly to health benefits | - | - | - |
Netherlands [38] | - | 30 minutes at least 5 days/week+ | 20 minutes 3 times/week+ | - | At least 5 days/week/3 times/week (VPA) | - | - | - | - |
Norway [26] | - | 30 minutes or energy expenditure of about 630 kJ | 30 minutes or energy expenditure of about 630 kJ | Explicitly stated | Daily | Can probably be divided into shorter intervals, e.g. about 10 minutes | Increasing activity beyond this duration and intensity will yield additional benefits | - | More activity (ca. 60 minutes/day) of moderate and/or vigorous intensity may be needed for prevention of weight gain |
Russian Federation [39] | Avoid sedentary behaviour | 150 minutes/week (2 ½ hours) | 75 minutes/week (1 ¼ hours) | Explicitly stated | Preferably spread across the week | At least 10 minutes | 300 minutes (5 hours) moderate intensity/week, 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) vigorous-intensity/week, or combination | At least 2x/week strength training | - |
Slovenia [40] | - | 30 minutes | - | - | At least 5 days/week | Not shorter than 10-15 minutes | - | Exercise should be divided: 50% aerobic, 25% flexibility, 25% muscular strength | - |
Sweden [26] | - | 30 minutes or energy expenditure of about 630 kJ | 30 minutes or energy expenditure of about 630 kJ | Explicitly stated | Daily | Can probably be divided into shorter intervals, e.g. about 10 minutes | Increasing activity beyond this duration and intensity will yield additional benefits | - | More activity (ca. 60 minutes/day) of moderate and/or vigorous intensity may be needed for prevention of weight gain |
Switzerland [41] | - | 30 minutes | - | - | Daily or most days of the week | At least 10 minutes | Additional effects achieved with more activity. Already active individuals can achieve additional health benefits with targeted training (at least 3 d/wk. 20-60 minutes with high intensity) | Strength training (8-15 repetitions) and flexibility training, gymnastics and stretching exercises twice a week | - |
Turkey [42] | - | 30 minutes | - | - | Daily | - | - | - | Be physically active every day, do these activities slowly |
United Kingdom [43] | Minimize sedentary (sitting) time for extended periods | 150 minutes; one way to approach this is to do 30 minutes on at least 5 days/week | 75 minutes | Explicitly stated | Daily (MPA) Spread across the week (VPA) | At least 10 minutes | - | Strength training at least 2 days/week | - |
Older adults
Country | Inactivity | Minimum recommendations | Further recommendations | ||||||
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Duration | Combination | Frequency | Bouts | Add. health benefits | Strength, balance etc. | Overweight | |||
Moderate intensity | Vigorous intensity | ||||||||
WHO [22] | - | 150 minutes/week, or be as physically active as abilities and conditions allow | 75 minutes/week | Explicitly stated | Throughout the week | At least 10 minutes | 300 minutes moderate intensity/week, 150 minutes vigorous-intensity/week, or combination | - Persons with poor mobility: activity to enhance balance and prevent falls on 3 or more days/week; - muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days/week | - |
Austria [27] | - | 150 minutes/week Be as active as condition allows if minimum recommendations cannot be met | 75 minutes/week | Explicitly stated | On most days of the week | At least 10 minutes | 300 minutes moderate intensity/week, 150 minutes vigorous-intensity/week, or combination | On 2 or more days/week: strength training, balance training | - |
Denmark [29] | - | At least 30 minutes | - | - | Daily | - | More activity will have additional health benefits | - Activities to maintain and enhance muscle strength and fitness at least twice/week for 20 minutes - Balance and stretching twice a week at least 10 minutes | - |
Iceland [34] | Avoid inactivity and incorporate physical activity into daily life | 30 minutes | - | - | Daily | For ex. 10-15 minutes | More activity can promote further health benefits. In addition to basic recommendations, at least twice a week 20-30 minutes of vigorous activities to promote further fitness. | Strength training is especially beneficial for older people | - |
Ireland [35] | - | 30 minutes daily or 150 minutes/week Any amount of physical activity gains some health benefits | - | - | 5 days/week | At least 10 minutes | - | Strength and balance training on 2-3 days/week | - |
Netherlands [38] | - | 30 minutes at least 5 days/week+ For non-active people, all extra physical exercise is significant, regardless of intensity, duration, frequency and type | 20 minutes 3 times/week | - | Daily | - | - | - | - |
United Kingdom [43] | Minimize sedentary (sitting) time for extended periods | Any amount of activity gains some health benefits. Some activity is better than none, and more activity provides greater benefits. 150 minutes (2½ hours); one way to approach this is 30 minutes on at least 5 days/week | 75 minutes | Explicitly stated | Daily (MPA)Spread across the week (VPA) | At least 10 minutes | - | Strength training on at least 2 days/week Older adults at risk of falls: balance and coordination training on at least 2 days/week | - |