Britons have been told they can be more flexible about how they take their exercise to meet fitness targets.
But parents may have to put up with active toddlers to meet the targets.
Chief medical officer Sally Davies says new guidelines are intended to help people with "busy lives".
Up to now adults have been told to take 30 minutes exercise a day to reach 150 minutes a weeks.
The new guidance says this is "just one way" to achieve this.
And it stresses the benefits of vigorous activity and muscle strengthening.
People under the age of 65 should do something to strengthen the muscles at least twice a week. This can include heavy gardening, swimming or basketball, according to the guidance.
The guidance says under fives should be active for at least three hours a day and children and teenagers up to the age of 18 need at least an hour a day.
Sport England Chief Executive Jennie Price "With the added flexibility these guidelines provide, and the growing number of social and informal sporting activities on offer, this is an exciting opportunity for us and our partners to encourage more people to improve their health through playing and enjoying sport."
Professor Davies said: "Being active has enormous health and well being benefits. It protects against many of the biggest causes of early death like heart disease, and stroke, and can promote good mental health.
“The latest figures show that almost a quarter of adults are obese and on current trends by 2050 it means 9 in 10 adults will be overweight or obese. We know that more than 60 per cent of adults are not active enough."
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