NICE – Activity to maintain a healthy weight
Balancing 'calories in' (from food and drink) and 'calories out' (from being physically active) may help to maintain a healthy weight.
- Make enjoyable activities – such as walking, cycling, swimming, aerobics and gardening – part of everyday life.
- Minimise sedentary activities, such as sitting for long periods watching television, at a computer or playing video games.
- Build activity into the working day – for example, take the stairs instead of the lift, take a walk at lunchtime.
Physical activity and sedentary behaviour
- Physical activity includes the full range of human movement. It includes everyday activities such as walking or cycling for everyday journeys, active play, work-related activity, active recreation (such as working out in a gym), dancing, gardening or playing active games, as well as organised and competitive sport.
- Sedentary behaviour describes activities that do not increase energy expenditure much above resting levels. Sedentary activities include sitting, lying down and sleeping. Associated activities, such as watching television, are also sedentary.