Physical activity and health

WHO guidelines, METs and intensity, sedentary behaviour and inactivity, and prescribed adapted physical activity.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Physical inactivity: what is it?
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Not meeting the physical-activity guidelines.
You can be active and sedentary at once.
A student runs 40 minutes three times a week but sits 11 hours a day. What can be said?
- She is active but sedentary: sitting time also needs breaking up
- She is inactive, since sitting time cancels out her runs
- She runs no risk since she exceeds the guidelines
- She should swap running for daily walking
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She is active but sedentary: sitting time also needs breaking up
Activity and sitting are two separate risks.
Sedentary behaviour: what is it?
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Waking time spent sitting or lying, using 1.5 METs or less.
Long sitting spells should be broken up.
Why does the WHO no longer set a minimum bout length?
- Because only daily step counts are now used
- Any activity counts, even in short bouts
- To lower the recommended weekly volume
- Because intensity no longer counts in the total
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Any activity counts, even in short bouts
The 2020 guidelines dropped the 10-minute threshold.