Physical activity in adults

This chapter looks at adults’ self-reported physical activity, compared with current UK guidelines.

Highlights

67% of men and 55% of women aged 16 and over do the recommended amount of physical activity. In both sexes, the proportion who met the guidelines generally decreased with age.
The proportion meeting guidelines for aerobic activity increased with household income. 76% of men and 63% of women with the highest income met the new guidelines, falling to 55% of men and 47% of women with the lowest income.
Men spent more time than women in activities such as heavy manual, gardening and DIY activities and sports and exercise. Women spent more time in heavy housework.
Both sexes spent similar amounts of time walking.

34% of men and 24% of women met UK guidelines on muscle strengthening activities.

Guidelines recommend that older adults at risk of falls should spend at least two days a week doing exercise that improves balance and co-ordination.

HSE does not identify those specifically at risk of a fall, but it does tell us the proportion of older participants who met these guidelines:

31% of men and 22% of women who met guidelines for aerobic activity spent at least two days a week in exercises that improved their balance and co-ordination, compared with 9% of men and 10% of women with low levels of aerobic activity and 3% of men and 2% of women classed as inactive.

Men were more likely than women to average six or more hours of total sedentary time on both weekdays, 31% and 29% respectively, and weekend days, 40% and 35% respectively.
The average sedentary time for men and women has decreased between 2008 and 2012.