Yet the average amount of time spent each week walking, and doing moderate and vigorous physical activity, has fallen in recent years. The decrease in vigorous activity was particularly marked, from an average of 91 minutes per person each week in 1997 to 65 minutes in 1999. There was also a fall in the proportion of Australians doing enough physical activity to provide a health benefit. Physical Activity Patterns of Australian Adults will be launched by Robert de Castella at Parliament House, Canberra, on Thursday 31 August. The flip side is that moderate activity has important benefits for physical and mental health.
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