Keeping fit comes with a whole range of health benefits – and it can be fun.

Regular exercise can reduce your risk of major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%. Physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, hip fracture and falls (among older adults).

How much is enough?

What counts?

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. As a guide, you should be able to talk but not to sing the words to a song. Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities are walking fast, water aerobics, riding a bike on level ground or with few hills, playing doubles tennis, pushing a lawn mower.

Daily chores such as shopping, cooking or housework don't count towards your 150 minutes because the effort needed to do them isn’t enough to get your heart rate up.

Get fit for free

There are lots of ways to get fit for free. The secret is to use every opportunity to be active. For example:

For more ideas, tips and advice on exercise visit www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness