Are You Doing Enough Exercise?

This simple quiz should determine if you are doing enough exercise or if you should step up your efforts to become fit and healthy.

Answer the questions as truthfully as possible and then check the summaries at the end of the quiz to see which category you fit into.

1. How often do you play organised sport?

• a) Never
• b) Once or twice a month
• c) One or twice a week
• d) Every day

2. How often do you walk for more than five minutes at a time?

• a) Never
• b) Very infrequently
• c) At least a couple of time a week
• d) Every day

3. How do you relax and unwind?

• a) With my feet up and the TV on
• b) Reading a book or sitting quietly
• c) With a relaxing walk
• d) By going for a run or swim or playing sport

4. What type of holiday do you enjoy?

• a) Lying on a beach, doing nothing and eating good food
• b) Sightseeing and exploring
• c) An active holiday, with some relaxing but plenty of sport, swimming and activity
• d) Ski-ing, scuba diving, in fact, anything where I don't stop!

5. If someone offered you a gym membership, would you...

• a) Say thanks, but no thanks
• b) Take the membership, use it once and then never go again
• c) Take the membership and use it
• d) Say no thanks, you couldn't possibly fit in gym visits between the runs, swims and sports you play

6. In your job you...

• a) Sit down all day and email colleagues, even if they work just one floor above you
• b) Sit down for most of the day but take regular breaks to have a little walk around
• c) Regularly leave the desk and go out to complete different jobs
• d) Lead exercise classes, teach abseiling and generally get lots of exercise

Mostly As

You need to do more exercise, but first of all, you need to realise the importance of exercise. At the moment, your mind is closed to the idea of exercise at all. But when you realise that 30 minutes of exercise several times a week could dramatically improve your life, you should be more willing to leave the sofa once in a while to do some. Start by moving around a bit more in your daily life. For example, when you need to speak to someone, go and see them rather than email or phone.

Mostly Bs It is not so much that you won't exercise but more that you don't really think about it. You need to find a type of exercise which suits you down to the ground and which will encourage you to actually take part rather than dread it. The gym may not be the best idea, but if you try out different sports, you may well find something which you love, so give it a go.

Mostly Cs Your life seems reasonably active and the chances are that you are doing plenty of exercise. If you can, introduce a little more gentle exercise, such as a regular daily walk, and make sure you continue to play sport on a regular basis. If you are doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week, you are on the right track to a good fitness level.

Mostly Ds You clearly have a full and active life and should not worry about not doing enough exercise. Conversely, make sure you are not overdoing it as this could result in injury or burnout. But as you obviously enjoy exercise, you are likely to already have a high level of fitness, so in jury should be less likely than someone just starting out.