The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines

We all know what we need to do in order to stay healthy, but in our fast paced world it’s easy to forget, leave it for tomorrow, next week, or next year…

The Canadian 24h guidelines(1) are an easy guide to remind us of the critical balance needed between sleep, physical activity, and sedentarism/screen time.

Developed by a team of researchers and health professionals who carefully considered scientific evidence and best practices, these guidelines provide a roadmap for us to improve our health, well being and quality of life. There are three core components:

Physical Activity:

• Perform moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise for a total of at least 150 minutes per week for adults and older adults

• Do some type of muscle strengthening exercise at least 2x/week

Sedentary Behavior:

• Don’t stay sedentary for more than 8h per day

• Break up long periods of sitting as often as possible

• Limit recreational screen time to less than 3h per day (Of course, those 3 hours are sedentary behavior as well)

Sleep:

• 7-9 hours of good quality sleep on a regular basis.

We know some things may be outside your control, like your toddler waking you up in the middle of the night or a project deadline that requires you to put more hours at work. The key is to control the things you can. For example, there’s a lot you can do to improve sleep hygiene: going to bed early, minimizing exposure to blue light in the evenings, eating a balanced dinner and not exaggerating on the drinks, for example.

Our health is a product of our daily routines. “We are what we eat”, but we also are “what we move” and “what we sleep”. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep and nutrition are interconnected, and achieving the right balance is essential for health.

We recommend setting daily systems based on these guidelines. Plan ahead: book your training sessions, schedule on your calendar pauses from sedentary behavior (maybe take an hour to walk to the grocery store, or walk your dog), limit your tv time (maybe only one episode of your favorite tv show per day) and go to bed early.

Changing habits is never easy, but there’s no other way around: if we want health and longevity, we must resist short term pleasures and stick to our plan!

Will

1- PMID: 33054332