Movement & Activity

Movement & Activity: Find Your Starting Point

A place to start exercising or bring more movement into ordinary days. Explore walking, everyday activity, and the basics of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise.

Starting out: find space in your day

Before choosing a workout plan, consider the day it needs to fit. How much time do you spend sitting? When could you move? What do you actually enjoy? Finding an activity you can return to may be a more useful first step than buying equipment or drawing up a demanding schedule.

Physical activity includes movement during travel, household tasks, and leisure as well as planned exercise. WHO emphasizes the value of doing some activity and limiting sedentary time. WHO physical activity guidance

Finding your pace: consider time and effort

Two walks of the same length can feel different because of pace, hills, and your current fitness. Distinguish light movement from moderate-intensity aerobic activity, and consider how activity could fit across your week. The starting guide below explains adult recommendations and a simple way to gauge effort.

Building a routine: include strength, meals, and rest

Alongside familiar aerobic activities such as walking, consider how muscle-strengthening activity could fit. Movement happens within a day that also includes eating and resting. Our guides distinguish public-health recommendations from practical examples, so you can see what the advice means for your current abilities and circumstances.

Continue with our Food & Nutrition and Wellness & Recovery guides for related reading. Our Editorial Policy explains how we select sources and describe the review an article has received.

Your first movement guide

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