As soon as the weather warms up it’s great to get outside and breathe in the fresh air. Even better, you can easily clock up valuable exercise through a range of outdoor activities that you really enjoy – such as going for a brisk walk or jog, playing frisbee or rounders or cycling to the market to pick up some fresh, seasonal vegetables and fruit. Need more persuasion? Other summertime pursuits to try organised rambles (visit www.ramblers.org.uk for more information) – great if you enjoy the social interaction badminton painting the house or mowing the lawn digging in the garden tennis

As long as you exercise to the point where you are slightly breathless but can still talk comfortably, it counts.

As well as the clear benefits to your overall health, being physically active outside has a de-stressing effect and can boost your mood.

How much is enough?

To reap the health benefits, WCRF UK recommends that we should be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day. This may seem a bit daunting but you can split it, for instance, into two 15-minute or three 10-minute sessions, so it’s actually fairly easy to fit into your schedule.

If you walk briskly a couple of times a day for example, perhaps taking the children to school or walking the dog, you probably have most of the recommended 30 minutes already covered. As your fitness improves, aim for 60 minutes or more of moderate, or for 30 minutes of more vigorous, physical activity every day. Jogging, swimming laps at the pool or brisk cycling fit the bill – but check with your GP if you are unsure about the level of activity that is safe for you.

The main thing is to get started now so that you can begin to reap the benefits of activity while the weather is still good. By the time the cooler days come around again, the benefits to your health and wellbeing should be so apparent that you’ll feel motivated enough to carry on all year round.

The benefits of physical activity are limitless

Here are just a few to consider...

• Reducing your risk
  There is strong evidence that physical activity helps protect against a number of cancers, particularly bowel and breast cancer. In general, every little bit of physical activity you do helps, but the more you do, the better.

• Maintaining a healthy weight
  Combined with a healthy diet, physical activity also plays an important role in helping you to manage your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important ways to protect against many common cancers as well as other chronic diseases.

• Feel-good factor
  It boosts your mood and fights depression. Research shows that raising your heart rate boosts your production of feel-good hormones called ‘endorphins’, which give you that post-exercise ‘buzz’.

• Healthier bones
  Research has also linked weight-bearing exercise (e.g., walking, skipping, jogging or carrying the shopping) with higher bone density, which decreases your chance of developing osteoporosis later in life.