Physical activity

Physical activity can take many different forms and can occur in the home, workplace or other environments. The benefits of regular physical activity include prevention and management of health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Physical activity is also an important contributor for achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle[1].

This survey measures physical activity against the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines (2014)[2] and the Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Young People (5 to 17 years) (2019)[3]. There are separate guidelines for children and young people (5–17 years), adults (18–64 years), and older people (65 years and over). For this analysis, where possible, each guideline has been applied to the relevant age group.

For adults who were employed and worked in the week prior to interview, the survey also collects workplace physical activity (moderate and vigorous activity). Unless noted as an exclusion, workplace activity is included in the calculation of physical activity.

The types of physical activity include:

• Walking for fitness, recreation or sport
• Walking for transport
• Moderate activity
• Vigorous activity
• Strength or toning exercises.

The differences between activity types are:

• Moderate activity is activity that causes a moderate increase in heart rate or breathing (e.g. a brisk walk, strength or toning exercises, lifting small boxes and sweeping)
• Vigorous activity causes a large increase in a person’s heart rate or breathing (e.g. playing basketball, running and lifting heavy boxes)
• Strength or toning exercise includes lifting weights, resistance training, yoga and pilates. This measure does not include workplace physical activity.

One in twenty (5.6%) young people met the physical activity guidelines in 2022. This has more than doubled since 2017–18 (1.9%). Young males aged 15–17 years were more likely to meet the physical activity guidelines than young females (9.9% compared to 3.7%).

One in six (16.8%) young people did at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day in the last week but it was not always moderate to vigorous activity. One in three (36.4%) young people undertook some physical activity every day in the last week, and one in five (19.5%) did three or more days of strength or toning activities in the last week.

One in five (22.4%) adults aged 18–64 years met the physical activity guidelines in 2022, an increase from one in six (17.0%) in 2017–18. More than half (56.4%) completed 30 minutes of activity on five or more days. One in four (26.6%) undertook strength or toning exercises on two or more days in the last week. Overall, males were more likely to meet the physical activity guidelines (24.9% compared to 19.9%).

Although three quarters (77.6%) of people aged 18–64 years did not meet the guidelines, the majority were active in the week prior to interview:

• Two in three (67.4%) undertook at least some physical activity on five or more days
• Three quarters (74.2%) did at least 150 minutes of physical activity in the week.

One in three (33.4%) people aged 65 years or over met the physical activity guidelines in 2022. Four in ten (43.4%) did at least 30 minutes of physical activity on five or more days and three in ten (30.8%) completed at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily. One in three (37.6%) did more than 300 minutes of physical activity in the last week, and similarly 40.7% engaged in daily physical activity.

Adults aged 18 years and over living in areas of most disadvantage were less likely than those living in areas of least disadvantage to have:

• Engaged in some type of physical activity in the last week (83.1% compared to 92.2%)
• Met physical activity guidelines (21.5% compared to 29.5%).

Adults living in areas of most disadvantage were more likely to have completed zero minutes of physical activity in the last week than those living in areas of least disadvantage (17.2% compared to 7.8%).

Adults living in Outer Regional and Remote areas were more likely than those in Major Cities to have completed zero minutes of physical activity in the last week (18.2% compared to 10.5%). Adults with an educational attainment of Year 10 or below were less likely than those with a bachelor’s degree or above to engage in physical activity in the last week (75.0% compared to 94.0%).

There are a wide range of physical activities that people aged 15 years and over reported in 2022:

• Nearly half (48.5%) walked for exercise
• Nearly half (47.4%) walked for transport
• One in three (32.8%) did moderate exercise
• Three in ten (30.5%) completed strength or toning exercises
• Almost one in five (18.6%) engaged in vigorous exercise.

Adults aged 18–64 years who were employed and worked in the week prior to interview were asked to describe their usual workday. Almost half (46.9%) described their day as mostly sitting, with walking and standing the next most common activities (20.4% and 18.9%).

• Young people aged 18–24 years were less likely than any other age group to report mostly sitting (22.8%) on a typical workday
• Males aged 18–64 years were more likely than females to report mostly heavy labour or physically demanding work (19.4% compared to 6.8%).

See the National Health Survey 2022 data downloads for the full suite of available data. Data relating to Physical activity can be found in tables:

• TABLE 1 Summary health characteristics, 2001 to 2022
• TABLE 2 Summary health characteristics, by states and territories
• TABLE 5 Selected long-term health conditions, by health risk factors and health status
• TABLE 6 Health risk factors, by population characteristics
• TABLE 11 Physical activity, by age and sex.

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, ‘Physical activity’, https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/behaviours-risk-factors/physical-activity/about; accessed 15/11/2023.
2. Department of Health and Aged Care, ‘Physical Activity and exercise guidelines for all Australians’, https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians?utm_source=health.gov.au&utm_medium=callout-auto-custom&utm_campaign=digital_transformation; accessed 15/11/2023.
3. Department of Health and Aged Care, ‘For children and young people (5 to 17 years)’, https://www.health.gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelines-for-all-australians/for-children-and-young-people-5-to-17-years; accessed 15/11/2023.

See National Health Survey 2022 media release for more information.