Activity and exercise

Keeping active:

Regular exercise and movement is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. People that are regularly active are more likely to live longer and are less likely to develop serious health conditions and ill health.

The best way to keep active is to discover a form of exercise or movement that is enjoyable to you, is something that you can do regularly and is realistic within your lifestyle.

How could you increase your physical activity?

Start with small and build it up e.g., start with a 5-minute walk or stretch
Do a variety of different activities to find what you enjoy the most
Think about how you’ll feel after the activity
Try to park further away from where you need to be or walk to the destination if that’s possible
Take 5-minutes away from your desk to stand up and move around
Try out an exercise class
Be active with a family member or friends e.g., going for a walk together to attending a class
Try to incorporate movement into your daily routine

For more information on keeping active, visit:

Risks of not being regularly active:

A lack of physical activity can increase your risk of developing serious health problems, such as:

Heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Obesity
Some cancers

Health benefits of keeping active:

There is a large amount of evidence that tells us keeping physically active is an essential part of living a healthy and fulfilling life into old age.

It has been medically proven that people who regularly keep active have a lower risk of developing:

Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease and stroke
Bowel cancer
Breast cancer in women
Early death
Osteoarthritis
Hip injury
Falls (among old adults)
Depression and anxiety
Dementia

To find out more about the benefits of keeping active, visit: Benefits of exercise | NHS inform

Exercise guidelines and support:

There are guidelines on how much exercise everyone should be doing at different ages. This allows us to make sure we’re not over or under exercising and keeps us in the healthy range.

The guidelines range from children under 5, to adults aged 19 to 64. To find out more much exercise you should be aiming for, select the correct link for your age below:

Children under 5:

Children and young people aged 5 to 18:

Adults aged 19 to 64:

Adults aged 65 and over:

Keeping active in pregnancy and after birth:

Fitness advice for wheelchair users and people with a disability:

Exercise ideas:

The best way to increase your exercise is to find activities that are enjoyable, within your ability and something you will be able to do regularly. Below are some NHS pages that show some exercises and plans that you could try to increase your movement:

Choosing what exercise to do | NHS inform
Strength and flexibility exercise plan - Strength and Flex exercise plan: How-to videos - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Sitting exercises - Sitting exercises - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Strength exercises - Strength exercises - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Flexibility exercises - Flexibility exercises - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Balance exercises - Balance exercises - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Exercises for sciatica problems - Exercises for sciatica problems - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Knee pain exercises - Knee exercises for runners - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Running exercise - Get running with Couch to 5K - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Walking for health - Walking for health - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Fitness studio exercise videos (23 instructor led videos including aerobics, strength and resistance, pilates, and yoga) - Fitness Studio exercise videos - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Get active - Better Health - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Local services:

Within Orkney, there are many different clubs, sports, and facilities for all ages that can help to increase your exercise levels and help you live a healthier lifestyle.

To find out more about leisure and sport in Orkney, visit:

ActiveLife Membership:

ActiveLife is Orkney’s leisure scheme that offers unlimited access to the Pickaquoy Centre and the 11 Council-owned fitness facilities within Orkney, this includes:

The Pickaquoy Centre
Kirkwall Grammar School (KGS) Sports Centre
Stromness Squash Courts
Stromness Swimming Pool and Fitness Centre
The Dounby Fitness Centre
The seven Healthy Living Centres based within community schools in North Walls, Rousay, Sanday, Shapinsay, St Margaret’s Hope, Westray and Stronsay Junior High.

ActiveLife is now a partner of LeisureLink, which allows members to access leisure facilities in four other areas across Scotland. These are Highland, Moray, The Western Isles, and Argyll and Bute.

Benefits of ActiveLife:

The benefits of ActiveLife include (where available at each of the sports facilities)