Physical activity

Keeping physically active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle as regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers. It also helps in maintaining a healthy body weight and good mental health.

Physical inactivity is now recognised as being second only to tobacco use as a key risk factor for ill health and recent evidence suggests that regular physical activity has many benefits.

To maintain good health, it is recommended that adults do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. This can be accumulated in 10-minute lots throughout the day, rather than one 30-minute session.

About half the adult population in Australia does not meet this recommendation. Even incidental physical activity like walking to the local shops, walking the dog and using the stairs instead of a lift are rarely done.

We need to increase the opportunities for physical activity for the community in a variety of ways. Some of our projects focus on increasing incidental activity, such as cycling, walking, and using public transport, while others provide more structured activities such as exercise classes. Our current projects include:

• Aboriginal cycling project
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Travel Access Guide
• Active over 50 program
• Active travel in SSWAHS
• Children's bicycle safety 
• Cycling Connecting Communities
• Koori Walkabout
• Liverpool Hospital TEAM (Take Steps, Eat Well and Measure Up) Challenge
• Make a Start online physical activity directory for over 50s
• Pedometer project
• SHARE
• Qualitative cycling research

Promoting cycling is an area of concentrated activity in our service. Increasing cycling is a way of improving the rate of physical activity among residents of SSWAHS. We do this by:

• Working with other organisations such as councils, schools and local bicycle user groups to develop cycling policies
• Providing input into planning processes that effect cycling
• Providing cycling skills courses and coaching training
• Supporting improvements in cycling infrastructure such as bike racks, lockers and showers to encourage cycling to work
• Supporting community events like National Ride to Work Day
• Doing research about cycling.

More information
Contact Janelle Borg on 9828 5900 or janelle.borg@sswahs.nsw.gov.au