www.healthinfo.co.nz

HealthInfo reference: Activity-action-plan Issued: 24 August 2017 Page 1 of 2

Activity action plan

Action Plan for: Date:

Why should I be active?

Being active can help you to:

be healthier and have more energy feel more relaxed and sleep better

maintain a healthy weight lower your stress levels

live independently for longer improve your posture and balance

reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some

cancers, depression and falls

keep your bones and muscles strong and joints flexible

How active have I in been the past?

Have you been active in the past (circle one)? Yes No

What were the main reasons for this?

If yes, what activities did you participate in?

How active am I now?

During the last week, how much time did you spend on the following activities (mark one box in each row)?

Type of Activity None Less than

1 hour

1 to 3

hours

More than

3 hours

Activities such as swimming, jogging, aerobics, football, tennis, gym

workout and so on.

Cycling, including cycling to work and during leisure time.

Walking, including walking to work, shopping, for pleasure and so on.

Housework or childcare.

Gardening or DIY work.

How active should I be?

The Ministry of Health recommends at least 2½ hours of moderate or 1¼ hours of vigorous physical activity

spread through the week. One way is to do 30 minutes of moderate or 15 minutes of vigorous activity at

least five days a week. You can also break this up into smaller chunks, for example 10 minutes at a time.

Moderate physical activities make breathing harder but you should still be able to talk while doing

them. For example, brisk walking on flat ground, playing with children and dancing.

Vigorous physical activities make breathing a lot harder than normal and you will not be able to talk

easily while doing them. For example, brisk walking uphill, fast cycling (faster than 16 km/h), running,

fast swimming, and team sports (such as netball and touch rugby).

Short-term goal: (Health professional – discuss with your patient and enter the goal here)

Activity action plan www.healthinfo.co.nz

HealthInfo reference: Activity-action-plan Issued: 24 August 2017 Page 2 of 2

What activities should I do? (Health professional - discuss with your patient and tick the activities they are prepared to try)

1. Build activity into your daily routine

Take the stairs. Go for a walk at lunchtime with a friend.

Walk to the shops. Park your car further away from work and walk.

Wash your car by hand. Do some gardening.

Get off the bus one stop early and walk. Play with your children or grandchildren.

Other:

2. Sit less, move more! Break up long periods of sitting

Break up long periods of sitting by standing

regularly to stretch or take phone calls.

Walk to colleagues instead of phoning, texting

or emailing them.

Stand during meetings or when reading. Stand up and stretch when ads come on TV.

During leisure time, turn off the TV, computer or

tablet and go for a walk.

Limit TV and computer use, or other seated

activities when at home.

Stand up while fishing, preparing kai, checking

emails or making phone calls.

Take regular breaks when driving long

distances.

3. Other suitable activities

Use the activity search on activecanterbury.org.nz to find local classes and groups in Canterbury.

Call 0800-22-84-83 to speak to the helpful staff at Sport Canterbury for ideas.

Who can help?

Friends and family or whãnau.

Green prescription helps you to get more activity into your life and make long-lasting lifestyle changes.

It includes free consultations with a physical health advisor and the opportunity to participate in Be

Active programmes, where you can try a range of activities, meet others and get support.

Your health professional can refer you. You can also fill in the self-referral form online. Go to

sportcanterbury.org.nz and search for self-referral or phone 0800-22-84-83.

Exercise classes for specific health conditions (Health professional – check healthpathways.org.nz/32051.htm and

enter the relevant class details here)

Personal trainers can help you to stay motivated. Many gyms and fitness centres have personal trainers

available for an additional cost. Some personal trainers will offer half-hour sessions, so be sure to ask.

Consider sharing the training session with a friend, as the costs can be shared between you.

To find a personal trainer in your area go to the NZ Register of Exercise Professionals website,

reps.org.nz, and use the Find an exercise professional search.

Physiotherapists can assess your individual needs and provide a programme of physical activity, called

PhysioFITT, tailored for you. The programme aims to help you overcome difficulties that have made it

hard to exercise, and to improve your health, wellbeing or performance. Typically, PhysioFITT consists

of three or four sessions over three to six months. Any private physiotherapist can provide PhysioFITT,

which is a private programme so you will be charged for it. To find a physio in your area go to the

Physiotherapy NZ website, physiotherapy.org.nz, and use the Find a physio search.

Written by Sports Canterbury Physical Activity Manager, Adapted by HealthInfo clinical advisers. August 2017. Activity-action-plan