UK,
10
August
2017
|
09:38
Europe/London

Do you know how much exercise you should be getting?

Simplyhealth quarterly health tracker reveals that public health messaging is not getting through, as the majority of adults are unaware of how much exercise they should be taking.

The latest Everyday health tracker, a quarterly YouGov survey commissioned by Simplyhealth, has revealed that less than a third of UK adults are aware of the recommended levels of aerobic exercise.

Simplyhealth asked 2,014 UK adults aged 18 and over which NHS health recommendations they had heard of with regards to aerobic exercise, strength & conditioning and fruit and vegetable consumption.

The results revealed that UK adults have a poor grasp on recommended exercise levels, with just 31% saying they know how much aerobic activity they should be doing and an even smaller minority - just 15% - aware of the muscle-strengthening target.

NHS guidelines for aerobic activity recommend that people take part in 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise - such as walking or cycling - or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise – such as running or tennis - per week.

For muscle strengthening, the recommended activity level is two or more days working all major muscle groups, such as lifting weights, push-ups/sit-ups, yoga or heavy gardening.

Exercise is an important part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle and it is clear from these finding that there is work to do to ensure people are reaching the suggested levels of activity.

That’s why our #millionsmoving campaign, which is designed to help people find ways to move more and to understand the positive effect that exercise can have on many aspects of their lives, is so important.

One message that has become ingrained in public consciousness, however, is the recommended levels of fruit and vegetable intake, with nine out of 10 UK adults aware of the ‘five a day’ guideline. The percentage of people that actually meet those levels however drops to just 29%, showing a significant gap between awareness and attainment.