This article first appeared on January 1, 2022. We offer it to you again in connection with our series ‘Everyone Bashir’.
There is no age limit for exercise, but toddlers have different exercise needs than their parents and grandparents. That is why the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living has prepared new concrete guidelines on exactly how much exercise we need to be healthy. These guidelines are based on advice from the World Health Organization and include some striking elements.
For example, in the context of sufficient exercise, there is no longer talk of blocks of ten minutes, half an hour or an hour. “Every minute counts. For everyone,” it says. That is also the main message of the exercise triangle: taking the stairs more, going to the shop or school by bike every week, a walk during the afternoon… it all counts. “Every Flemish person is of course free to calculate in his own way, in order to grow step by step to 150 minutes of moderately intensive exercise per week,” says Ragnar Van Acker of the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living. “Before the lockdown, 40 percent of the population did not get the 150 recommended minutes of exercise. So every minute of exercise counts. The WHO has also recognized this. Sufficient exercise has physical and mental benefits for everyone.”
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Disability or chronic illness
For the first time, an exact number is also put on the number of hours of sleep that our little ones need and the exercise needs of pregnant and newly-delivered women are also taken into account. In addition, attention is also paid to people with a disability or a chronic illness.
“There are now also recommendations for people with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, MS, Parkinson’s or major depression. But also for cancer patients, for example. There is evidence that if they exercise enough, they are less likely to relapse,” he says. “And in the past there was far too little attention for people with disabilities. Now there is such evidence and studies. In any case, this group has more difficulty getting enough exercise. This is partly due to their own disability, but also due to accessibility. So this is an important statement.”
Pregnant and recently given birth women
“Compared to a few years ago, we now know better what the impact of sufficient exercise is on pregnant and recently given birth women. By getting enough exercise, they increase the chance of a healthy weight for mother and child. They are also less likely to suffer from postnatal depression and complications during birth,” says Van Acker.
That is why the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living also drew up specific guidelines for them. “So we suddenly take care of two lives at the same time.”
A pregnant woman, like all other adults, should stand up once every 20 to 30 minutes. Because every step counts. They also try to do light-intensity exercise for most of the day and should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. In addition, it is also important for them to do muscle strengthening exercises and gentle stretching exercises. “And it is best to do daily exercises for the pelvic floor muscles. It sounds a bit funny, but as an exercise they can pretend to hold their urine for six to eight seconds throughout the day,” says Van Acker.
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People over 65
Sitting still a lot is not good for anyone. And therefore not for the over-65s. Getting up every 20 to 30 minutes is therefore definitely recommended. This also applies to elderly people with a disability or illness.
Exercise is the best medicine, according to the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living. Research shows that if older people exercise more, they also sleep better, have a stronger immune system and enjoy a better quality of life. The exercise recommendations for people over 65 are almost the same as those for 18 to 64 year olds. The three scenarios also apply to them: either you exercise at least 150 to 300 minutes per week at moderate intensity, or you exercise at least 75 to 150 minutes per week at high intensity, or you combine moderate and high intensity.
Are you less mobile? Then try to follow the recommendations, but also listen to your body.
People over 65 should also do specific exercises or activities three times a week to strengthen their muscles and bones. This way they are literally on firmer footing and reduce the risk of falling.
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Adults (18-64 years)
Due to the coronavirus, students and working adults have mainly spent the past year at home behind their computers. It is important for them to interrupt sitting every 20 to 30 minutes and go get a glass of water, for example.
In addition, the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living recommends doing mildly intensive exercise for most of the day. But that alone is not enough. The Institute has developed three possible exercise scenarios for adults. Either you exercise at least 150 to 300 minutes per week at moderate intensity, or you exercise at least 75 to 150 minutes at high intensity every week. Or you combine moderate and high intensity. In the latter scenario you can start calculating: in total you should get at least 150 minutes. But the minutes you exercise at high intensity count double. For example: you walk for 90 minutes at a moderate intensity and you jog for 30 minutes at a high intensity. That last half hour then counts double. This way you get 150 minutes per week.
In addition, adults should also do an activity at least twice a week to strengthen their muscles and bones.
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Children and young people (6-17 years)
The major outdoor play study by Kind en Samenleving vzw in 2020 showed that children now play outside 70 percent less than in 1983. “And the coronavirus has also exposed many pain points in that area. Not all children have the same amount of space to play and move,” says Van Acker.
However, children need to exercise a lot. The Institute for Healthy Living recommends limiting sitting still for children and young people between the ages of 6 and 17 and breaking up long periods of time. They can do some light intensive exercise for most of the day, for example by playing, walking, but also by helping with the dishes, for example. And it is also recommended to exercise at moderate to high intensity for an average of 60 minutes per day. This can be done by exercising for half an hour during the lunch break, cycling to school and playing outside. In any case, it should be highly intensive on three of the seven days of the week.
It is also important that children do activities to strengthen their muscles and bones. Think of climbing and scrambling or sports.
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Toddlers and preschoolers (1-5 years)
Toddlers and preschoolers also need a lot of exercise. It is better not to sit still for more than one hour at a time, is the advice of the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living. And if your child does sit still, the Institute recommends choosing an activity other than watching TV. Screen time is not recommended at all for children under the age of two. For preschoolers, the Institute recommends no more than one hour of sitting watching TV per day.
Toddlers and preschoolers should exercise at least three hours a day, and one hour of that preferably at high intensity. The Institute recommends, for example, taking the bicycle to school, leaving the buggy at home from the age of three and giving toddlers and preschoolers plenty of opportunities to play outside.
In addition, toddlers and preschoolers also benefit from many hours of sleep. For toddlers (1 to 2 years), a clear schedule is important and an average of 11 to 14 hours per day. Preschoolers (3 to 5 years) can make do with a little less. They need about 10 to 13 hours of sleep per day.
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Babies (0-1 years)
Don’t let your baby get stuck in one position, says the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living. Babies often sit still in a buggy or high chair for a long time and there is nothing wrong with that, but they should not do so for more than one hour at a time.
It is best to place children who cannot yet crawl on their stomach for at least half an hour a day. This does not necessarily have to be done in one piece. Also make sure that you regularly change your position while carrying your little one. This way your baby doesn’t get stuck in one position.
For the first time, there is also a guideline on sleeping for the little ones in our country. “We have bundled all aspects of energy consumption,” says Van Acker. Babies under three months of age need between 14 and 17 hours of sleep per day. This is slightly less between the ages of four and eleven months. According to the Flemish Institute for Healthy Living, about 12 to 16 hours are enough for them, including naps. “There is now enough evidence that the little ones can really get extra health benefits from that recommended amount of sleep. In the long term, this also contributes to healthier growth and development,” he says.
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Do you want to know if you exercise enough? Take the test at mijn.gezondleven.be/bewegingstest.
