How much exercise per week
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Weekly Exercise Recommendations: Optimal Amounts for Health and Fitness
General Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults
Moderate and Vigorous Aerobic Exercise
For optimal health, adults are recommended to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week. This can be achieved through activities such as brisk walking, cycling, or running1 4 7. These guidelines are designed to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and improve overall quality of life1.
Muscle-Strengthening Activities
In addition to aerobic exercise, adults should perform muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups on at least two days per week. These activities can include weight lifting, resistance band exercises, or body-weight exercises like push-ups and squats1 4.
Exercise for Weight Management
Initial Recommendations
For overweight and obese individuals, an initial goal of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week is recommended. This level of activity has been shown to improve health-related outcomes and can be achieved through 30 minutes of exercise five days a week2.
Enhanced Weight Loss
To enhance long-term weight loss and facilitate weight maintenance, it is recommended to progressively increase exercise to approximately 300 minutes per week. This higher level of activity can be challenging, so incorporating intermittent and lifestyle approaches to exercise can help maximize adherence2 9.
Special Populations
Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
For adults with spinal cord injury, specific guidelines recommend at least 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise twice a week, along with three sets of strength exercises for each major functioning muscle group, also twice a week. For cardiometabolic health benefits, 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise three times a week is suggested3.
Elderly and Children
Elderly individuals should perform balance training and fall prevention exercises more than three times a week, in addition to the general recommendations for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities4. Children and adolescents should engage in at least one hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily, including vigorous aerobic activity at least three days per week, and resistance and bone-strengthening exercises at least three days per week4.
Exercise for Specific Health Conditions
Type 2 Diabetes
For individuals with type 2 diabetes, a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic exercise per week, spread over at least three days, is recommended. Resistance exercise should also be performed at least two days a week. Combining aerobic and resistance exercises within the same session is often recommended to optimize health benefits6.
Obesity
For those living with obesity, a minimum of 300 minutes of moderately intense activity per week is recommended for weight loss. High-intensity aerobic and high-load resistance training are particularly effective at decreasing abdominal adiposity, improving lean body mass, and increasing cardiorespiratory fitness10.
Conclusion
In summary, the general recommendation for adults is to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, along with muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days per week. For weight management and specific health conditions, higher levels of exercise may be necessary. Tailoring exercise prescriptions to individual needs and capabilities can help maximize adherence and health benefits.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
US Physical Activity Guidelines: Current state, impact and future directions.
The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans emphasize the need to move more and sit less, promoting optimal health and reducing the risk of all-cause mortality.
Exercise in the treatment of obesity.
Increasing exercise to 300 minutes per week, combined with energy intake modifications, can enhance long-term weight loss and facilitate weight loss maintenance in overweight and obese adults.
Highly CitedEvidence-based scientific exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury: an update and a new guideline
Adults with spinal cord injury should engage in at least 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise 2 times per week for fitness benefits and 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise 3 times per week for cardiometabolic health benefits.
Systematic Review
Rigorous JournalHighly CitedAn Overview of Current Physical Activity Recommendations in Primary Care
Current physical activity recommendations for adults include 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activities, with new evidence supporting shorter exercise bouts for diabetes, hypertension, and osteoarthritis patients.
Very Rigorous JournalHighly CitedMuscle strength gains per week are higher in the lower-body than the upper-body in resistance training experienced healthy young women—A systematic review with meta-analysis
Women can increase their maximal muscle strength by 7.2% per week in the upper body and by 5.2% per week in the lower body, with more rapid gains in the lower body.
Meta-AnalysisExercise prescription for patients with type 2 diabetes—a synthesis of international recommendations: narrative review
Exercise prescription for individuals with type 2 diabetes should include specific information on exercise type, mode, duration, intensity, and frequency, adapted to individual needs and goals.
Systematic ReviewRigorous JournalHighly CitedRun for your life: tweaking the weekly physical activity volume for longevity
Optimal physical activity levels of 450-750 minutes per week, 3-5 times higher than minimum recommendations, can significantly reduce all-cause mortality and improve overall health.
Meta-AnalysisRigorous JournalComparison of 1 Day and 3 Days Per Week of Equal‐Volume Resistance Training in Experienced Subjects
Higher frequency of resistance training, even with constant volume, produces superior gains in 1RM strength gains, but training only 1 day per week is effective for increasing strength in experienced recreational weight trainers.
RCTHighly CitedModerate‐to‐Vigorous Physical Activity and Time‐Restricted Eating are Predictors of Fat Mass Loss in Overweight and Obese Females Following an Eight‐Week Exercise and Dietary Intervention
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and time-restricted eating can lead to fat mass loss and maintain lean mass in overweight and obese females.
Rigorous JournalWhat exercise prescription is optimal to improve body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults living with obesity? A network meta‐analysis
Combining high-intensity aerobic and high-load resistance training is the most effective exercise prescription for improving body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with obesity.
Meta-AnalysisVery Rigorous JournalHighly Cited