Our approach to exercise

Last updated: 14 September 2026

Bolus's approach to exercise is anchored on the UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines, the national guidance the NHS points adults with diabetes towards, and delivered the way the NHS-backed We Are Undefeatable campaign delivers it: every bit counts, and the first step can be five minutes long.

What the guidance says

For adults aged 19 to 64, the aim is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix of the two. Alongside that, strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups on two or more days a week. Spreading the minutes over four or five days, or a little every day, works better than saving it all for one session.

Moderate and vigorous

Moderate means you can still talk but you couldn't sing. Brisk walking is the standard example, and it counts in full towards the minutes. So do cycling on the flat, dancing and pushing a lawnmower.

Vigorous means you're breathing hard and fast: running, swimming, football, a fast bike ride or a hill walk. One vigorous minute is worth about two moderate ones, which is why 75 sits alongside 150.

Strength

Two or more days a week of strengthening activity sits alongside the minutes. That can be a gym session, but it can also be carrying heavy shopping, gardening, yoga or bodyweight exercises at home.

Minutes, not steps

The guidance is written in minutes of activity, not steps. There is no official daily step target, so Bolus doesn't set one. A step count is useful to look at; the minutes carry the aim.

Every bit counts

A weekly figure is only useful if you can see a way to get there from where you are.

For people living with a health condition, the NHS-backed We Are Undefeatable campaign deliberately sets no threshold. Every bit of movement counts, and five minutes is a real start. If you're a long way short of the guidance, it stays there as a horizon, but the first move is small and concrete: a ten-minute walk after dinner, getting off the bus a stop early, building on the walk you already did this week. Small starts are worthwhile in their own right, not a consolation prize.

A shortfall is somewhere to build from, never a failing.

What's right for you

The guidance describes what's recommended for adults in general. Whether a particular level or type of activity is right for your body specifically, including your heart, your feet or the medication you take, is a question for your care team, and your coach will point you there rather than guess.

Where our approach comes from

The figures come from the UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines (2019), as set out by the NHS for adults aged 19 to 64. The delivery, every bit counts and a small start over a big gap, follows We Are Undefeatable, the NHS England and Sport England campaign run with Diabetes UK and other health charities for people living with long-term conditions.

Key sources:

• NHS, Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
• UK Chief Medical Officers, Physical Activity Guidelines (2019)
• We Are Undefeatable, Moving with diabetes

Important information