Your feedback helps us to improve our website.

Translate

Preventing Falls: A guide to staying steady Physical activity for adults and older adults 

Find out how to stay active at home with a set of easy exercises created by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Any level of activity is linked to health benefits.

  • Improves sleep 
  • Manages stress 
  • Maintains healthy weight 
  • Improves quality of life 
  • Reduces your chance of:
    • -40% Type II Diabetes 
    • -35% Cardiovascular disease 
    • -30% Falls, depression etc. 
    • -25% Joint and back pain 
    • -20% Cancers (colon and breast) 

Be active everyday 

  • Make a start today: it’s never too late 
  • Any activity is better than none, and more is better still 
  • Every minute counts 

Aim for:

  • at least 150 minutes per week 
  • Moderate intensity 
  • increased breathing 
  • able to talk

or

  • at least 75 minutes per week 
  • Vigorous intensity 
  • breathing fast 
  • difficulty talking 

Or a combination of both.

To keep muscles, bones and joints strong

Build strength on at least 2 days a week

For older adults

Improve balance 2 days a week to reduce the chance of frailty and falls

Minimise sedentary time

Break up periods of inactivity

Chief Medical Officer's physical activity guidelines - adults and older adults (updated 2026). Source: GOV.UK 

Information and guidance taken from: Imperial College Healthcare (www.imperial.nhs.uk), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (www.nice.org.uk/), NHS (www.nhs.uk) and Age UK (www.ageuk.org.uk) 114137 07/26