Start with what you already do. Walking to the car, carrying washing up the stairs, an hour in the garden: plenty of it is already part of the guidelines, and they say so directly. Any activity adds to the totals, and some activities cover more than one recommendation at once.
So before you add anything, give yourself credit for what's already there.
What's included
Moderate to vigorous activity, 30 minutes on most days. A brisk walk, swimming, cycling, dancing, mowing the lawn, a fitness class, jogging, netball. It doesn't have to be one 30-minute block.
Muscle-strengthening, 2 days a week. The guidelines list push-ups, squats, lunges and lifting weights, along with household tasks that involve lifting, carrying or digging. Carrying heavy shopping, lifting small children and digging in the garden all qualify, as long as the load feels hard by the last few lifts. If you could carry it all day without noticing, it isn't heavy enough to build strength.
Balance, mobility and coordination, 3 days a week. Activities that challenge your balance or take your joints through their full movement, such as dancing, yoga, Pilates or tai chi. Walking up and down stairs is the example the guidelines give of one activity covering two recommendations: your moderate activity and your balance activity.
Light activity, several hours a day. Walking around the house or office, cooking, tidying, hanging out washing, light gardening, playing with children. Each hour of it replaces an hour of sitting.
Steps. If you track steps, the figure is 7,000 or more a day. Walking continuously, 1,000 steps takes about 10 minutes.
Movement doesn't have to look like exercise
In my PhD work with women, this idea consistently changed how they saw exercise: movement doesn't have to be a gym session or a run. If you've never enjoyed those, you haven't failed at exercise. You haven't found your kind yet.
- Dance in the kitchen. Put on music you love while dinner cooks.
- Follow a YouTube workout in the lounge room. Choose one led by an accredited exercise physiologist or physiotherapist, or from a trusted organisation such as Exercise Right, run by Exercise & Sports Science Australia. Start with a beginner session.
- Pick up a skipping rope for a few minutes at a time.
- Bounce on a mini trampoline while you watch TV.
- Chase the kids or the dog around the backyard.
Skipping and bouncing are impact activities, and the firm landing helps keep your bones strong. If impact makes you leak a little, that's common and treatable. A women's health physiotherapist can help, and Pelvic Floor First has advice on adjusting high-impact exercise.
A week that adds up
This is one way the numbers fit together, not a programme. Swap in whatever you enjoy.
| Day | Activity | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 30-minute brisk walk, taking the stairs at home or the shops | Moderate, balance |
| Tuesday | 45-minute Pilates class | Strength, balance |
| Wednesday | 30-minute walk | Moderate |
| Thursday | An hour in the garden, digging and carrying | Moderate, strength |
| Friday | 30-minute walk, taking the stairs at home or the shops | Moderate, balance |
| Saturday | A long walk with friends, or dancing | Moderate |
| Sunday | Rest, or a slow walk | Light |
That covers moderate activity on 5 days, strength on 2 and balance on 3. Add several hours of light activity each day by getting up regularly from the desk or the couch, and the week meets every recommendation.
If that looks like a lot from where you are now, it doesn't have to happen this week. Pick one row and start there.
Making it stick
- Start smaller than you think you need to. A 10-minute walk you do every day beats a 1-hour class you dread. Add time once it feels easy.
- Choose what you enjoy. Dancing in the kitchen, a walk with a friend, a swim, a class with music you like. The best activity is the one you'll keep doing.
- Pair it with something you already do. Walk while you take a phone call, do a few squats while the kettle boils, take the stairs whenever there's a choice.
- A missed day is just a missed day. The guidelines say most days, not every day. Pick it up again tomorrow.
Don't trade sleep for it
The guidelines are clear that you shouldn't cut sleep to fit in more activity. If you'd like to move in the mornings, shift an evening of screen time into an earlier bedtime instead, so you can get up earlier without losing sleep.
Where food comes in
A few things from the last few weeks matter more when you're moving more:
- Calcium for your bones. Strength activity loads your bones, and calcium is what they're built from. The four serves post covers how to reach your serves with or without dairy.
- Iron for energy. If you're tired on every walk and your periods are heavy, low iron is a common cause. Ask your GP for a ferritin test.
- Enough food overall. The serves post notes that taller or more active women can add up to 2.5 extra serves a day from the food groups.
Greenher Daily is formulated by a nutritionist to support a healthy diet, alongside the food groups. See the full formula here.
The takeaway: more of your day is already part of the guidelines than you might expect, from carrying the shopping to taking the stairs. Start with one small thing you enjoy, and build from there.
The science behind this post:
- Adult recommendations and supporting statements from Australia's 24-hour movement guidelines, republished by 10,000 Steps, CQUniversity, 2026. Read it here
- Australia's 24-hour movement guidelines for all ages, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Read it here