Guideline

WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Year of Publication

2020

Issuing Institution

World Health Organization

Links

WHO IRIS

Recommendations

38 included recommendations

Children and adolescents should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity, mostly aerobic, physical activity, across the week.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities, as well as those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least 3 days a week.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Children and adolescents should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, particularly the amount of recreational screen time.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

All adults should undertake regular physical activity.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week, for substantial health benefits.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults may increase moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to more than 300 minutes; or do more than 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week for additional health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

To help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, adults should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate- to vigorousintensity physical activity.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

All older adults should undertake regular physical activity.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Older adults should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorousintensity activity throughout the week, for substantial health benefits.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Older adults should also do muscle strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

As part of their weekly physical activity, older adults should do varied multicomponent physical activity that emphasizes functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity, on 3 or more days a week, to enhance functional capacity and to prevent falls.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Older adults may increase moderateintensity aerobic physical activity to more than 300 minutes; or do more than 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorousintensity activity throughout the week, for additional health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Older adults should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

To help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, older adults should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderateto vigorous-intensity physical activity

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

It is recommended that all pregnant and postpartum women without contraindication should: undertake regular physical activity throughout pregnancy and postpartum

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

It is recommended that all pregnant and postpartum women without contraindication should: do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week for substantial health benefits

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

It is recommended that all pregnant and postpartum women without contraindication should: incorporate a variety of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. Adding gentle stretching may also be beneficial.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Women who, before pregnancy, habitually engaged in vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or who were physically active, can continue these activities during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Pregnant and postpartum women should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits.

Status

Maintained

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

All adults and older adults with these chronic conditions should undertake regular physical activity: for cancer survivors; for people living with hypertension; for people living with type-2 diabetes and for people living with HIV

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults and older adults with these chronic conditions should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderateand vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week for substantial health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults and older adults with these chronic conditions should also do muscle strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

As part of their weekly physical activity, older adults with these chronic conditions should do varied multicomponent physical activity that emphasizes functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity on 3 or more days a week, to enhance functional capacity and prevent falls.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

When not contraindicated, adults and older adults with these chronic conditions may increase moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to more than 300 minutes; or do more than 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week for additional health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

For cancer survivors, and adults living with hypertension, type-2 diabetes and HIV, it is recommended that: Adults and older adults with chronic conditions should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including light intensity) provides health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

For cancer survivors, and adults living with hypertension, type-2 diabetes and HIV, it is recommended that: To help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, adults and older adults with chronic conditions should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

Children and adolescents living with disability should do at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderateto vigorous-intensity, mostly aerobic, physical activity, across the week.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities, as well as those that strengthen muscle and bone should be incorporated at least 3 days a week.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

All adults living with disability should undertake regular physical activity.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults living with disability should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderateintensity aerobic physical activity; or at least 75–150 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week for substantial health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults living with disability should also do muscle-strengthening activities at moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, as these provide additional health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

As part of their weekly physical activity, older adults living with disability should do varied multicomponent physical activity that emphasizes functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity on 3 or more days a week, to enhance functional capacity and prevent falls.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Adults living with disability may increase moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to more than 300 minutes; or do more than 150 minutes of vigorousintensity aerobic physical activity; or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week for additional health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Conditional

Certainty of evidence

Moderate

Children and adolescents living with disability should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary, particularly the amount of recreational screen time.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

Adults living with disability should limit the amount of time spent being sedentary. Replacing sedentary time with physical activity of any intensity (including lightintensity) provides health benefits.

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low

To help reduce the detrimental effects of high levels of sedentary behaviour on health, adults living with disability should aim to do more than the recommended levels of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity

Status

New

Recommended in favor

Strong

Certainty of evidence

Low