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Facts, resources and information on major public health issues for public health professionals, local authorities and CCG commissioners.

Welcome to Health matters, Public Health England's (PHEs) professional resource, which includes infographics, videos, case studies and slide sets alongside written content. This brings together in one place the most informative data and the best evidence of what works in addressing major public health problems, which is particularly useful for:

public health professionals

clinical commissioning groups

health and wellbeing boards

local authorities

Each edition of Health matters focuses on a specific public health topic, setting out the scale of the problem and the evidence for cost-effective interventions. We also signpost people to additional data, resources and important facts.

The Health matters blogs provide additional insight into the public health topics being covered by each edition.

Cold weather and COVID-19

Air pollution

Alcohol

Antimicrobial resistance

Bowel cancer

Cardiovascular disease prevention

Cervical screening

Child dental health

Community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing

Dementia

Early years

Flu immunisation programme and COVID-19

Health economics

Health and work

High blood pressure

HIV testing

Mental health

Obesity and the food environment

Physical activity

Physical activity: prevention and management of long-term conditions

Preventing drug misuse deaths

Preventing ill health from alcohol and tobacco use

Preventing infections and reducing AMR

Preventing STIs

Prevention - a life course approach

Productive healthy ageing

Reproductive health and pregnancy planning

Rough sleeping

This edition of Health Matters focuses on the scale of rough sleeping in England, the causes and consequences of rough sleeping (including the links with poor physical and mental health, prevention and effective interventions) and relevant calls to action.

Smoking

Smoking and mental health

Stopping smoking

Tobacco and alcohol CQUIN

Tobacco packaging

Tuberculosis

Type 2 diabetes

Using the NHS Health Check programme to prevent CVD

Whole systems approach to obesity

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Facts, resources and information on major public health issues for public health professionals, local authorities and CCG commissioners.

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Simple ideas to help with staying active and keeping fit

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Regular exercise can help the brain.

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Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

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It is important to stretch and warm up before you embark on any exercise routine...here are a few tips.

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click into this for more information about health lifestyle choices

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click into this for more information about health lifestyle choices

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Exercise helps everyone live a happier and healthier life. If you have heart and circulatory disease, it can help manage your condition and get you feeling great.
What's on this page?

Why should I exercise?

It's well-known that exercise is good for your health. When it comes to your heart, it can reduce your risk of heart and circulatory diseases by up to 35% - giving you peace of mind and a longer life. Getting active can also help you:

control your weight

boost energy and improve sleep

improve mental health

improve symptoms of heart and circulatory conditions like angina pain in the long-term - making everyday life easier and letting you do more

reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, which lowers your risk of getting heart and circulatory diseases like heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia

reduce feelings of stress.

Should I exercise?

It's normal to worry whether you should exercise if you've got a heart problem. Most people will still be able to and feel the benefits of staying active. In most cases, getting your muscles and lungs working better helps put less strain on your heart. However, there are some things to keep in mind before getting active:

heart conditions - with some conditions, you may have to think about whether you can use weights, or how intense your exercise can be. If you use GTN spray to manage your chest pain, speak to your doctor or pharmacist about how you can use it alongside exercise

medications - some may affect your exercise. For example, beta blockers affect your heart rate and may make you feel more tired. Talk with your doctor to find the medication that works for you

implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) & pacemakers - most people with these implanted devices can exercise safely and your doctor should tell you if you have any limits to what you should do. This often means sticking to moderate intensity exercise (like walking and gardening) and avoiding contact sports like rugby

listen to your body - you should only exercise if you're feeling well enough to do so. If you start to feel symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations (the feeling like your heart is pounding, or skipping a beat) or unusual shortness of breath, you may need to scale back your exercise. Speak to your doctor If you're experiencing this

the weather - if it's too hot or too cold, your heart may be under more strain to exercise. If this is the case, try a low-stress activity like stretching instead.

If your doctor is happy for you to exercise, you can start by choosing an activity that's right for you. We can help you with cardiac rehab, chair-based workouts, top tips about running and much more. Get started with our guide on starting exercise after a heart attack or surgery.

It's important that you speak to your doctor before beginning any physical activity for the first time. They can answer any questions you may have, tell you about exercising with your condition and provide you with specific information to help you safely get active.

You should not start any exercise if you are currently feeling symptoms and should stop and rest if you notice them during your exercise. If this happens, you may need to scale back the intensity of your exercise until you've spoken to your doctor.

If you have chest pain that's not gone away or any other symptoms of a heart attack, call 999.

What type of exercise should I do?

Not all exercise is the same and the different types of exercise you do have different benefits for your body. The recommended types of exercise for improving heart health are:

aerobic exercise - when you're moving your body in a way that makes you warm and slightly out of breath like when walking, cycling, doing housework or gardening. Over time, this type of exercise helps your heart and circulatory system to work better by helping to lower your blood pressure and resting heart rate, improving cholesterol levels and helping you maintain a healthy weight

balance and flexibility exercise - exercise like yoga, tai chi and Pilates where we hold our bodies in less stable positions. These exercises make sure our muscles don't get too tight and keep us flexible, helping avoid pain or injury and reduce the risk of having falls

resistance exercise - resistance training like lifting weights or using resistance bands and cables to strengthen your muscles. The stronger your muscles are, the harder they can work which takes the strain off your heart making it easier to do everyday tasks. Check in with your doctor before you start any resistance training as it may not be suitable for some people with heart conditions.

It's important to remember that getting active doesn't have to mean spending lots of time doing an activity that you may not enjoy. It can be something as simple as playing with your grandkids, walking to the shop or gardening. If it gets you a little out of breath, you're being active.

For most people, your weekly exercise should be a combination of aerobic, resistance and flexibility and balance activities for well-rounded health. Not sure where to start? Find out which activity suits you best by taking our quiz.

How much exercise should I do?

It's recommended that you do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. Moderate exercise is when you feel warm and comfortably breathless like when walking or pushing a lawn mower. Intense exercise is when you breathe hard and fast like when running, swimming or cycling.

What one person finds moderate may be intense to another. That's why it's helpful to do the 'talk test' while you're exercising to find the right level for you. The talk test:

if you can comfortably talk while being active

feel warm and are breathing a little more heavily than normal

you're moving at the right pace.

Whether it's walking or weights, it's important to start low and slow and to 'listen' to your body. A session could be as little as five or 10 minutes. Even the smallest changes can have great results.

It's best to spread your exercise evenly over the week, making sure you have some rest days to ensure your body recovers. Recovery can be just as important for improving your fitness as the exercise itself. Being active is about living a happier, healthier life and should fit into it how you live.

How do I prepare for exercise?

Setting yourself up properly can make the difference to how you feel when you exercise. To get the most out of your activity, prepare by:

eating early and right - eat carbohydrate-based foods in plenty of time before exercising for energy and to avoid feeling too full

getting the essentials together - get your equipment ready, wear light, loose clothing and have a bottle of water and towel to hand

preparing your space - if you're at the gym, know what equipment you plan on using and where those things are. If at home, make sure there's enough room to exercise, move anything in your way and that you won't be interrupted

warming up and cooling down - stretching and starting slow helps loosen you up, lowering the chance of getting hurt and improving your movement.

Hill walking after triple bypass surgery

Read about Martin, who returned to his passion of hill walking six months after his surgery.
Read Martin's Story

Why should I warm up and cool down?

It's easy to skip if you're tired or in a rush but warming up and cooling down is important to staying safe and getting the most out of your workout. Warming up and cooling down helps by:

getting you in the right mood to exercise

preparing your body by raising your heart rate slowly, so there isn't a sudden increase in workload for your heart

sending blood to the active areas of your body

stretching to keep your muscles from shortening and increasing flexibility

warming up your muscles and preparing the joints for movement.

If you have a heart condition, a warmup should last at least 15 minutes and a cool down should last at least 10 minutes. Older adults may need 15 - 20 minutes.
What should I eat and drink?

Whatever your activity level, to stay fit and healthy everyone needs a good balance and variety of foods. This means choosing healthy carbohydrates, lean proteins, eating more fruit and vegetables and keeping hydrated.

carbohydrates - these are your body's main source of energy when you're exercising. It's best to choose high fibre, wholegrain varieties of oats, pasta, rice, breads and cereals. Carbohydrates provide the slow release of energy you need to fuel your exercise. There's no need to eat extra carbohydrates if you're active unless you're training for longer events

fruit and vegetables - these are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fibre which help keep your body and immune system healthy when you exercise. Aim for at least five portions a day

protein - known as the building blocks of life, these help your body grow and repair. You should try and include a portion of protein like lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy or alternatives sources like peas, pulses or beans with most meals

fluids - exercising raises your body temperature and your body tries to cool down by sweating. This causes a loss of water and salts through the skin. How much fluid you need depends on how long you exercise for, the temperature, and the amount you sweat. For most people, unless you are exercising for more than an hour, drinking 6-8 glasses of fluid (water, squash, fruit juice, caffeine-free teas) a day is a good idea.

Allow enough time to eat and drink before exercising to ensure your food is fully digested and avoid feeling sick or uncomfortable during exercise. Try to have a balanced meal 2-3 hours before exercising.

It's just as important to have a healthy diet as it is to exercise. Use our recipe finder for hundreds of delicious and healthy meal ideas packed with the nutrients you need for being active.

Exercise tips

You may find it hard to be more active at first, but as time goes on it'll get easier as your body gets used to activity. You may only notice small improvements, but it all adds up. Here are our top tips to get you started:

breathe - remember to breathe deeply throughout an activity to keep oxygen coming into your body and to help keep your blood pressure under control

be sociable - go for a walk with a friend, join a group or get active for charity to meet like-minded people and have fun

keep an eye on your progress - many smart phones count the number of steps you walk each day or time how long it takes you to swim a lap of the pool. Challenging yourself and getting better at an activity is fun

make exercise part of your day - plan a time to do some physical activity that fits in with the rest of your day like by walking or cycling instead of driving. It could even be something as small as parking your car further from the shop or getting off the bus a stop early. If you miss a day, don't worry - just make sure you start again when you can

keep moving - everyday activities count, so look out for opportunities to be active during the day while you're inside or outdoors. Whilst moving, don't change position too quickly as this can cause dizziness

start small - try breaking down your exercise into short sessions throughout the day and build up from there. You could start by taking a five minute walk every day or trying our 10-minute workout

set realistic goals - setting goals like doing a short walk outside every day is fun and makes you feel great when you achieve them. If you want to keep setting new goals, read about using the FITT principle

set reminders where you can see them - stick post-it notes on the fridge or set daily reminders on your phone so you don't forget (it's easily done)

get variety - make a list of enjoyable activities you can do such as dancing or cycling and do a different activity each week. This way you're less likely to get bored and lose interest

be proud of yourself - pat yourself on the back when you hit a goal. You've looked after your heart and that's something to be proud of.

Want to know more?

Order or download our Understanding physical activity leaflet to help you get moving.

Heart Helpline & other support:

speak to our cardiac nurses by phone, callback, email or online chat on Heart Helpline (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

contact us to talk to our customer care advisors, find your local BHF shop and for any comments, compliments and complaints you may have

sign up to our Heart Matters magazine for online information packed with health and lifestyle advice.

You can trust our health information

We've followed an eight-step process to make sure this content is reliable, accurate and trustworthy. Learn how we make our health information reliable and easy to understand.

Updated: October 2022

Next update due: October 2025

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Exercise helps everyone live a happier and healthier life. If you have heart and circulatory disease, it can help manage your condition and get you feeling great.

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There are many walking groups set up within Wiltshire that help people exercise as well as anxiety, stress and other mental health issues.

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Image of what can happen to the heart with this condition

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Open this..official NHS information about health benefits of exercise,

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Step right up! It's the miracle cure we've all been waiting for.
It can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.

It's free, easy to take, has an immediate effect and you don't need a GP to get some. Its name? Exercise.

Check physical activity guidelines for:

Exercise is the miracle cure we've always had, but for too long we've neglected to take our recommended dose. Our health is now suffering as a consequence.

This is no snake oil. Whatever your age, there's strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and happier life.

People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many long-term (chronic) conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.

Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Health benefits

Given the overwhelming evidence, it seems obvious that we should all be physically active. It's essential if you want to live a healthy and fulfilling life into old age.

It's medically proven that people who do regular physical activity have lower risk of:

What counts?

To stay healthy, the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines, on GOV.UK, state that adults should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week, through a variety of activities.

For most people, the easiest way to get moving is to make activity part of everyday life, like walking for health or cycling instead of using the car to get around. However, the more you do, the better, and taking part in activities such as sports and exercise will make you even healthier.

For any type of activity to benefit your health, you need to be moving quick enough to raise your heart rate, breathe faster and feel warmer. This level of effort is called moderate intensity activity. If you're working at a moderate intensity you should still be able to talk but you won't be able to sing the words to a song.

An activity where you have to work even harder is called vigorous intensity activity. There is substantial evidence that vigorous activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate activity. You can tell when it's vigorous activity because you're breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.

A modern problem

People are less active nowadays, partly because technology has made our lives easier. We drive cars or take public transport. Machines wash our clothes. We entertain ourselves in front of a TV or computer screen. Fewer people are doing manual work, and most of us have jobs that involve little physical effort. Work, household chores, shopping and other necessary activities are far less demanding than for previous generations.

We move around less and burn off less energy than people used to. Research suggests that many adults spend more than 7 hours a day sitting down, at work, on transport or in their leisure time. People aged over 65 spend 10 hours or more each day sitting or lying down, making them the most sedentary age group.

Sedentary lifestyles

Inactivity is described by the Department of Health and Social Care as a "silent killer". Evidence is emerging that sedentary behaviour, such as sitting or lying down for long periods, is bad for your health.

Not only should you try to raise your activity levels, but you should also reduce the amount of time you and your family spend sitting down.

Common examples of sedentary behaviour include watching TV, using a computer, using the car for short journeys and sitting down to read, talk or listen to music. This type of behaviour is thought to increase your risk of developing many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, as well as weight gain and obesity.

Crucially, you can hit your weekly activity target but still be at risk of ill health if you spend the rest of the time sitting or lying down.

For a summary on the health benefits of being more active, check out these physical activity guidelines from the Department of Health and Social Care.

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Find out how regular exercise can help you lose weight, boost your mood and reduce your risk of developing long-term conditions.

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Occupational Therapy promotes independent living and recovery.  It does this by identifying your skills and needs.

We use therapeutic activity - anything you find meaningful, enjoyable or necessary to support your recovery.

Taking part in
meaningful occupation such as sports or hobby based activities helps us stay well and can help in recovery from mental health problems.

We won't tell you how to live your life - we'll support you to move towards your goals in a friendly and non-judgmental way.
(Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership)

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click to follow the story of a service user and his journey

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click to follow the story of a service user and his journey

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Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

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A psychotic experience can be distressing and often includes things like hearing or seeing things that other people see or hear.

It may also involve unusual beliefs that others don't share such as thinking others are trying to harm you or your friends and family.

Sometimes it can be difficult to know who can be trusted, especially if you feel at risk.
There are many different cultural and individual ways of understanding experiences of psychosis.  It is important to understand each person's beliefs about these experiences to enable working together to achieve the best outcome.
(Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership)
Useful websites:
1. www.iris-initiative.org.uk
2. www.rethink.org
3.www.youngminds.org.uk
4. www.mind.org.uk
5.www.psychosissucks.ca

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click into this to read more about Nice guidelines on cardio-vascular disease

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Find out what cardiovascular disease (CVD) is, what problems it can cause, why it happens and how you can reduce your risk.