move more icon 2020 final web

The challenge: Get active every day – move more.

Why is it important to get active and move more?

Physical activity is beneficial because it can:

  • help to manage the balance between energy in and energy out, to maintain a healthy weight;
  • improve heart health and strengthen muscles and bones;
  • improve sleep, relieve stress and lift mood.

 

How active do we need to be?

We are all advised to minimise inactivity. In addition, there are specific age-related recommendations. When we are moving more, it is still important to stick to the social distancing and exercise guidelines from the Government. To find these guidelines, click here.

Pre-schoolers (aged 3 to 4)

  • Be active for 180 minutes (3 hours) spread throughout the day, including at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity.

Children and young people (aged 5 -18 years)

  • Be active for at least 60 minutes every day (ranging from moderate-to-vigorous intensity).
  • Engage in a variety of types and intensities of physical activity across the week, to develop movement skills, muscular fitness and bone strength.

Adults (19 - 64 years)

  • Be active for at least 150 minutes each week (moderate intensity), or have 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week.
  • Do muscle strengthening activities on two days or more each week.

Inactivity

As well as being physically active, it is also important that we reduce the amount of time being sedentary, such as watching TV, playing computer games and travelling by car when we could walk or cycle.

Over time, sedentary behaviour can lead to weight gain and obesity, which can increase the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

 

Support for you

To help plan and promote the Move more challenge

  • Move more challenge guide – a downloadable guide about the challenge.
  • Move more logo - you can download the logo to promote the challenge. For example, you might want to include it on your canteen menu and staff/student emails. The logo is also available in Welsh.
  • Move more poster – display this colourful poster to remind everyone that your organisation is taking on this challenge!
  • Move more challenge tracker – to help your team track their progress in completing the challenge.

 

Activity ideas, information and resources

Whether you are in your workplace or working or studying from home, there are lots of ways you can get your colleagues/peers involved in the Move more challenge.

Watch the video below for some inspiration! Why not share it with colleagues?

 

Try these ideas for teams/peers working or studying at home (or in the office!)

  • Hourly movement challenge! Create a 2-minute set of movements to be completed by staff each hour (or two) during the Move more day! You could dedicate the moves for each hour to a certain part of the body or create a short routine for all the body and be repeat it each hour. Why not meet on a video call to do the movements together?
  • Super stairs! Set a staff/team target number of stairs to be climbed on the Move more day or over BNF HEW. Staff will need to pledge their contribution to the Super stairs target! Any staircase/steps can be used – in a house, in a block of flats, a local park!

 

Use and share this information to help everyone learn more about physical activity.

 

Nurseries and schools

Move more challenge information and resources for nurseries and schools is available on the Food – a fact of life website.