Getting active: walking, gardening and everyday movement
Updated: 9 hours ago
Being active does not have to mean joining a gym or starting a demanding exercise programme. Walking, gardening, dancing and everyday tasks can all be useful starting points. The best choice is something you value and can build into your week.
Start from what you can manage
If you have been less active, begin with an amount that feels achievable and repeatable. A few minutes can be a worthwhile start. Build gradually instead of trying to catch up on everything on a good day.
For general health, NHS guidance recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week, together with strengthening on at least two days. Moderate activity makes you breathe faster while still allowing conversation. These are longer-term targets, not a starting prescription for someone recovering from injury or living with a health condition.
For adults aged 65 and over, NHS guidance also recommends daily movement and activities for strength, balance and flexibility on at least two days each week. If you have not exercised for some time, or have a medical condition or concerns, speak to your GP about an appropriate starting point.
Make walking practical
Choose a route, surface and distance you currently feel able to manage. A shorter route with places to pause may be more useful than a long walk that leaves you unable to do other valued tasks. Comfortable footwear and suitable clothing help make it easier to repeat.
In Eastbourne, a familiar section of the promenade may be a useful option when the weather, surface and access suit you. Choose the distance and places to pause around your own needs; this is a suggestion, not a prescribed route.
Consider adding a little time or distance before also changing hills, pace and frequency. Walking with someone or linking a short walk to a daily routine may help. If walking is difficult, another suitable activity or a seated exercise option may be a better starting point.
Adapt gardening rather than doing everything at once
Divide a large job into smaller sessions and alternate tasks, such as pruning, planting and watering.
Use a stool, kneeling support or long-handled tool if it makes the task easier for you.
Split heavy loads and ask for help with work that currently exceeds what you can manage.
Change position when useful. There is no single posture you need to hold throughout a gardening session.
Allow time for the rest of your day instead of using all your capacity in one task.
Include strength and balance
Strength work can use body weight, resistance bands, weights or an appropriate class. What is suitable depends on your current ability, health and goals. If balance is uncertain, choose a safe setting with support and ask a physiotherapist or other suitable clinician about a programme.
Link strength work to a goal, such as getting out of a chair, carrying shopping or managing stairs. Ask what to practise, how to judge the response and when to make it harder or easier. Equipment is not always necessary.
Everyday movement also matters: breaking up long periods of sitting, doing a manageable household task or taking a short movement break can complement planned exercise.
Use your response to guide the next step
Notice how you feel during activity, later that day and after recovery. An unfamiliar activity can cause temporary muscle soreness, but increasing swelling, worsening function or new neurological symptoms should not simply be pushed through.
A manageable plan may need smaller amounts, a different activity or more recovery time. If pain keeps limiting progress, an assessment can help clarify the cause and agree an approach. Stop and seek urgent medical help for chest pain, fainting or severe unusual breathlessness during activity.
Useful progress may mean recovering more comfortably, feeling more confident or joining in more often. A short note about what you did and how it felt can help you review the plan without measuring every movement.
When you need a more individual plan
The knee pain guide and foot and ankle guide explain specific assessment routes. If pain has lasted more than three months, the persistent-pain guide discusses pacing, meaningful goals and NHS support.
If you have recently had treatment, read After your osteopathy appointment. Advice from your clinician about an injury, operation or medical condition should guide your return to activity.
For practical advice in different settings, see computer-work comfort, driving with back pain and returning to sport. For a familiar episode after assessment, the back pain flare-up guide offers more specific advice.
Sources and further information
Sources checked: 13 October 2026. The practical examples are general suggestions to adapt to your circumstances.