Physical activity: key points

Public health implications

• Regular physical activity of at least moderate intensity (such as brisk walking or cycling) provides general health benefits across a range of diseases and across all ages.
• The greatest health benefits occur when the least active people become moderately active.

Physical activity policy

• The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults aged 19-64 should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity (MPA); or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity (VPA); or even shorter durations of very vigorous intensity activity; or a combination of moderate, vigorous and very vigorous intensity activity. Surveys that ask about physical activity often consider both MPA and VPA, known as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or MVPA.
• Adults should also do muscle strengthening activities at least two times a week and minimise sedentary time.
• The guidelines recommend that children should engage in an average of at least 60 minutes per day of MVPA, and minimise sedentary time.
• The Scottish Government’s Active Scotland Outcomes Framework sets out the Government’s ambitions for sport and physical activity.
• Along with eating well and having a healthy weight, being physically active forms one of the six Public Health Priorities for Scotland published jointly by the Scottish Government and COSLA in 2018. Together, these six public health priorities aim to achieve 'a Scotland where everybody thrives.'
• The Scottish Government's vision for achieving a more active Scotland is supported by Scotland's Physical Activity Delivery Plan, A More Active Scotland, launched in July 2018.
• The Active Travel Framework, produced by Transport Scotland and key delivery partners, collates key policy approaches aiming to increase the levels of active travel (walking or cycling) in Scotland. 

Physical activity levels in Scotland

• An estimated 69% of adults (aged 16 years and over) met the physical activity guidelines in 2021 (Scottish Health Survey 2021).
• Men were more likely than women to meet physical activity guidelines in 2021 (73% and 65%, respectively; Scottish Health Survey 2021).
• Adults in the most deprived areas of Scotland were least likely to be physically active (Scottish Household Survey).
• In 2021, an estimated 71% of children (aged 5-15 years) in Scotland met the physical activity guideline for children when including activity done at school (Scottish Health Survey 2021).