Ensure staff have knowledge and confidence to offer simple physical activity advice suitable for most people
Physical activity guidelines: adults and older adults (UK Govt; 2019) from the UK Chief Medical Officers include an infographic explaining the physical activity needed for general health benefits for adults and older adults; they advise at least 150 minutes moderate intensity activity per week and/ or at least 75 minutes vigorous intensity per week, building strength on at least two days per week, and minimising sedentary time.
The three questions posed by the Scottish physical activity screening questionnaire (Scot-PASQ) can be used as a motivational screening tool and to deliver advice: 1. In the past week, on how many days have you been physically active for a total of 30 minutes or more? 2. If four days or less, have you been physically active for at least two and a half hours (150 minutes) over the course of the past week? 3. Are you interested in being more physically active?
Encourage those attaining guideline physical activity levels to maintain this (or improve on it); further health benefit can attained the more physical activity an individual does, however, most physical health gains occur at relatively lower levels of activity (BMJ 2016;354:i3857), with diminishing returns at higher levels of activity.
Motivate 2 Move (HEIW) is a professional-oriented resource that includes activity advice for people with specific health conditions.