What is the recommended minimum exercise time to combat a sedentary lifestyle?
The minimum amount of physical exercise recommended to combat a sedentary lifestyle depends on age and the intensity of the activity in question. The World Health Organization classifies the population into three age groups: 5-17, 18-64 and 65 and over. For children, the recommendations are 60 minutes of moderate-to-sustained-intensity activity per day (essentially endurance-building activities, while maintaining muscle- and skeletal-strengthening activity at least three times a week). For adults, we recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 75 minutes of sustained activity, or an equivalent combination of the two per week. It should be noted that each endurance exercise should last at least 10 minutes, and muscle-strengthening exercises should be performed at least twice a week. For those aged 65 and over, the recommendations are the same, but with the addition of balance exercises.
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For further information, we recommend that you consult :
- The Santé Publique France website, and its thematic dossier on sedentariness & physical activity
- The WHO report, which unveiled its guidelines on physical activity and sedentariness in 2020