How much physical activity is enough to achieve health benefits for the general public?
The general guideline to improve levels of fitness and wellbeing is what the Department of Health gives: 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity, preferably aerobic activity, like walking, cycling or swimming, five times a week. This applies to the general public and to most patients, whether they are cardiovascular or cancer patients. Also, we normally advise health professionals to work within the capability of the patient. How would you test individual capability in a primary care or community setting? I developed an aerobic fitness test called the Chester Step Test, which is widely used in community and occupational health settings. It involves a patient wearing a heart rate monitor and stepping onto and off a step. The heart response is monitored, usually by a nurse and an aerobic fitness score is calculated. This type of test is easily done in clinics to establish a baseline level of fitness or functional capacity. It is often used by GPs, in cardiac rehab and occupational heal
