Accessible activity goals

Plan your activity around good days and harder ones, and see how the week adds up.

Your details

Good days a week
Active minutes on a good day
Active minutes on other days
Strength or balance days

3 good days and 4 other days

110 min

a week, and every one of them counts

  • Good days3 x 30 min
  • Other days4 x 5 min
  • Strength and balance days1 of 2
  • A gentle next stepadd 10 minutes to each good day

Planning around good and harder days (pacing) is a way of being active that respects how your body feels, rather than pushing through. The UK guidance for disabled adults: make activity a daily habit, do not be still for too long, do strength and balance on at least 2 days, and aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week for substantial health gains. If your condition fluctuates, do less than you could on good days to avoid a crash.

If activity makes your symptoms much worse the next day (post exertional malaise), talk to your GP or specialist before building up; for ME/CFS, NICE advises against fixed increases. Stop if you feel chest pain or faint.

The working

3 good days of 30 minutes, 4 other days of 5

That is 90 + 20 = 110 minutes a week, 40 short of 150. A gentle next step: add 10 minutes to each good day. You are doing strength or balance on 1 of the 2 suggested days.

The guidance

UK CMOs, disabled adults

  • Make physical activity a daily habit
  • Do not be still for too long
  • Strength and balance on at least 2 days a week
  • Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week for substantial health gains
  • Even a little movement is better than nothing

Pacing

Steadier than boom and bust

If your energy or pain fluctuates, doing less than you could on good days helps avoid a crash afterwards. Build up slowly, by a few minutes at a time, and hold for a week or two before adding more.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Know your conditionSome conditions need specialist advice before increasing activity.
  • Predict your daysPlan for the week you usually have, not the best one.
  • Count everythingWheeling, swimming, chair exercise and housework all count, however you do them.

Questions

Common questions

How much exercise should disabled adults do?

UK guidance is the same aim as for all adults, 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus strength and balance on 2 days, and even a little is better than nothing.

What is pacing?

Balancing activity and rest so you avoid big crashes, for example by stopping before you are tired on good days.

What if exercise makes my symptoms worse the next day?

Talk to your GP or specialist before building up. For ME/CFS, NICE advises against fixed incremental exercise.

Does wheeling count as activity?

Yes, and so does chair exercise, swimming, gardening and anything that gets you moving.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If activity is making things worse

If activity makes your symptoms much worse the next day, talk to your GP or specialist team before building up. Stop if you feel chest pain or faint.

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