How to Improve Physical Fitness

Improving physical fitness does not need to be complicated.

A good starting point is to build your week around 4 simple pillars.

1. Move Your Body Most Days

Start with walking, cycling, swimming, sport, or anything that raises your breathing a little.

You should still be able to speak during moderate activity, but it should feel like you are doing more than resting.

If you are new to exercise, even 5 to 10 minutes is a win.

2. Build Strength 2 Days Per Week

Strength training helps your muscles, bones, joints, posture, and metabolism.

You can use:

• your body weight
• dumbbells
• machines
• resistance bands
• kettlebells
• household items
• gym equipment

Start simple. Learn good form. Build slowly.

3. Work on Mobility and Balance

Mobility and balance help you move better and reduce the risk of falls, stiffness, and poor movement habits.

This can include:

• stretching
• balance drills
• yoga
• Pilates
• ankle, hip, shoulder, and spine mobility
• standing on one leg
• controlled bodyweight movements

This is especially helpful for older adults, beginners, desk workers, and people returning to exercise.

4. Reduce Long Periods of Sitting

You can still exercise and sit too much.

If you sit for work, study, driving, or screen time, add small movement breaks.

Try:

• standing every 30 to 60 minutes
• walking during calls
• stretching between meetings
• taking a short lunch walk
• using stairs when possible
• doing 2 minutes of movement every hour

These small breaks can make active living feel more natural.

Healthier Workplaces, Schools and Communities

Healthy living becomes easier when the people and places around us support it.

Workplaces can encourage movement, morale, and better wellbeing.

Schools can help children build lifelong healthy habits.

Communities can make physical activity easier through education, walking paths, active transport, social sport, local programs, and safer places to move.

This matters because health is not only an individual issue.

The environment around people can make healthy choices easier or harder.

A good physical fitness resource should support individuals, families, workplaces, schools, and communities.

Global Employee Health & Fitness Month

Every May, Global Employee Health & Fitness Month gives organisations a simple way to promote better health at work.

The campaign encourages workplaces to create practical health activities that staff can join without feeling overwhelmed.

This can include:

• healthy daily actions
• group activities
• team-based movement
• workplace wellness challenges
• one larger shared project or event

Workplace health is not just about exercise.

It is about energy, morale, culture, stress, connection, and helping people feel supported where they spend a large part of their week.

When movement becomes part of normal work life, healthy habits are more likely to last.

Physical Fitness for Older Adults

Physical fitness remains important as people age.

For older adults, regular movement can help support:

• independence
• balance
• strength
• mobility
• confidence
• daily function
• bone and muscle health
• social connection
• quality of life

A good routine for older adults often includes:

• walking or other aerobic activity
• strength training
• balance exercises
• flexibility and mobility work
• gentle daily movement
• safe progression

The goal is to move in a way that feels safe, useful, and realistic. It is never too late to start, but people with health concerns should get guidance before beginning a new exercise plan.

Trusted Health and Fitness Resources

If you want to build a healthier lifestyle, support your workplace, help your school community, or learn more about physical activity, these trusted resources are a great place to start. We have included these links to give you practical tools, expert guidance, and evidence-based information that can help you take action with more confidence.

Move Your Way: If you want simple help understanding how much exercise you need and how to fit more movement into your day, Move Your Way is a great place to start. It takes the U.S. physical activity guidelines and turns them into tools, ideas, and easy planning resources you can actually use. That makes it helpful when you want something that feels practical, not overwhelming.

Australian Government – 24-hour Movement Guidelines for All Australians: If you want clear Australian guidance on how much you should move, how much you should sit less, and how sleep fits into the picture, the 24-hour Movement Guidelines for All Australians are one of the best resources to include. They help you see health as more than just workouts, which is useful when you want to build better habits across your whole day, not just during exercise.

President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition: If you want a current U.S. public health resource on physical activity, healthy eating, and active living, the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition is a strong one to link to. It connects you to national programs and updated guidance, so you are not being sent to older challenge pages that no longer reflect what is current.

Australian Sports Commission – Physical Literacy: If you want a broader view of health and movement, the Australian Sports Commission’s Physical Literacy resource is very useful. It helps you understand that being active is not only about fitness, but also confidence, skills, motivation, and lifelong participation. That makes it valuable for you as a parent, coach, teacher, club leader, or anyone trying to help people stay active for life.

Presidential Youth Fitness Program: If you care about children’s health, school-based activity, or helping young people build better habits early, the Presidential Youth Fitness Program is worth including. It gives schools and educators a more modern approach to youth fitness that focuses on health, regular activity, and positive support instead of just testing performance. 

ACHPER Australia:  If you’re a teacher, parent, school leader, or health educator, ACHPER Australia is a strong Australian resource. It focuses on movement, health, and physical education, and it supports a more inclusive, evidence-based approach to helping Australians move, play, and thrive. This is useful when you want a trusted local voice in the school and youth health space.

CDC Workplace Health Promotion: If you want to improve health in the workplace, the CDC Workplace Health Promotion hub is one of the best links you can use. It gives you planning tools, training, program guidance, and practical models for building a healthier work environment. That makes it especially helpful for employers, managers, and workplace wellness leaders who want more than a one-off health event.

BeUpstanding: If you want an Australian workplace resource that feels practical and easy to apply, BeUpstanding is an excellent option. It is built to help workplaces stand up, sit less, and move more, with a strong focus on health, wellbeing, and productivity. This is a great link if you want simple changes that can improve how people feel and function at work.

Heart Foundation – Physical Activity Resources: If you want a trusted Australian resource that speaks more directly to everyday people, the Heart Foundation’s physical activity resources are a very good fit. They help you understand why regular movement matters for heart health and make the benefits feel relevant to daily life. That is useful when you want to encourage people to get active for real health reasons, not just appearance or fitness goals.

The Community Guide: Increasing Physical Activity: If you want to access ideas that are backed by evidence, not just general advice, The Community Guide: Increasing Physical Activity is a strong resource to include. It looks at what works through behavioural, social, environmental, and policy approaches, which makes it useful for community leaders, planners, schools, and organisations that want proven ways to help more people be active.