A Working Checklist for Exercise with a Long-Term Condition
Exercise with a Long-Term Condition: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
Physical activity adapted to a condition rather than avoided because of it. Activity is recommended in almost every long-term condition, and is consistently under-prescribed compared with medicines.
Key takeaways
- General target: 150 minutes moderate a week, plus strengthening twice a week
- Recommended in: heart disease, COPD, diabetes, arthritis, depression, cancer recovery
- Most useful single change: Ask whether a supervised programme exists for your condition.
- Commonest mistake: Avoiding activity because of the diagnosis.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Ask whether a supervised programme exists for your condition
- Start below what feels possible and build slowly
- Adapt the activity rather than abandoning it
Do not
- Avoiding activity because of the diagnosis
- Starting at your pre-illness level
The numbers behind the list
The list is built from the numbers below, which come from the bodies cited at the end.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| General target | 150 minutes moderate a week, plus strengthening twice a week |
| Recommended in | heart disease, COPD, diabetes, arthritis, depression, cancer recovery |
| Supervised programmes | cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation |
| Start point | below current capacity, building gradually |
If you change one thing
Ask whether a supervised programme exists for your condition. If you only change one thing, make it that.
Where to go next
- Answers to the Common Questions on Exercise with a Long-Term Condition
- Exercise with a Long-Term Condition in Five Minutes
- Exercise with a Long-Term Condition — the reference entry
- What the Guidance Really Says About Planning for Deterioration
- What the Guidance Really Says About Living with Multiple Conditions
When to speak to a doctor
Speak to a GP before starting if you have unstable angina, uncontrolled blood pressure, a recent cardiac event, or symptoms that are not yet diagnosed. Stop and seek urgent help for chest pain, severe breathlessness, dizziness or fainting during exercise.
Where this comes from
- UK Chief Medical Officers — Physical Activity Guidelines
- NICE — Multimorbidity
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error on this page. We correct on the page and say what changed.
