Take up volleyball, says Department of Health

Adults should take up vigorous games like volleyball and basketball, according to new official guidance, because moderate exercise is not enough

Over the last few years the Department of Health has put out a straightforward message - that people aged 19 to 64 should get at least half an hour of moderate exercise a day, at least five days a week.

But that has now changed amid concerns that activities like walking or cycling alone are insufficient to protect against osteoporosis and falls in later life.

The '5 x 30' message has been replaced by one that adults should do at least two and a half hours of "moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity" every week. This can be in bite-sized chunks of as little as 10 minutes a time.

Twice a week everybody should also take part in "muscle strengthening activity".

The Department cites examples such as "heavy gardening, group sports such as volleyball and basketball, or swimming".People should be pushing themselves to the point that breathing becomes harder "and their hearts beats rapidly, making it more difficult to carry on a conversation".Other examples of vigorous activity include running and playing football, while the advice suggests exercising with weights or carrying heavy loads like groceries to strengthen muscles
The guidelines also suggest that getting an hour and a quarter's intensive exercise a week is as beneficial as getting twice as much moderate exercise.