Japanese walking this. Hot Pilates that. Trendy workouts may be top of mind, but one question always remains: How much exercise per week do you actually need to be healthy?
While you might think it’s dependent on the type of workout you’re doing, the answer is actually quite simple. It’s the time spent moving your body that is more important than doing the quote-unquote perfect exercise. Even for those who have long given up on gym life, you can still incorporate a healthy amount of exercise with moderate movement into your day-to-day. See how below.
What are the benefits of exercise?
Before diving into the exact amount of time you should be physically active every week, let’s do a refresher on why you should be exercising in the first place. The benefits, as you probably already know, are many. Alexis Colvin, MD, board-certified orthopedic and sports-medicine surgeon at Mount Sinai and chief medical officer for the US Open, lists the biggest ones as follows:
- Reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, Alzheimer’s, certain types of cancer, and some complications related to pregnancy
- Helps manage weight
- Increases muscle strength and endurance
- Improves bone health
- May lessen stress, anxiety, and depression
- Boosts mood
- Enhances sleep quality
- Increases energy levels
- Prevents frailty and falls in older adults
What is the recommended total exercise needed?
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, adults should work out for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. You should also consider strength-training exercises at least twice a week. Dr. Colvin further explains that this breaks down to about 30 minutes a day for five days a week, and you can do some combination of vigorous and moderate exercise throughout the week.
An easy hack if you’re just getting started? Try splitting the daily 30-minute sessions into 10-minute intervals throughout the day. And if you are super active and looking for more of a challenge, you can obviously go beyond the recommended time. “For additional health benefits, doubling that—300 minutes of moderate [exercise] or 150 minutes of vigorous [exercise]—is encouraged,” she says.
Does this change based on age?
The short answer to this is, yes, it does. Dr. Colvin says that children and teens (those who are 6 to 17 years old) should at least get 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Three days of vigorous activity, mixed in with three days of weight-bearing activities, is an ideal schedule.
Generally, there is no difference in how much exercise one needs based on gender. The only other consideration is that if you have limited mobility or other medical conditions, you may need to consult your physician on the most suitable physical activities.
What counts as vigorous exercise?
While not all exercises can easily be compared to one another, Dr. Colvin says vigorous exercise can generally be categorized as any workout where you breathe hard. In other words, if you can only say a few words without pausing for breath while doing your workout of choice, then you’re doing a vigorous exercise. Examples of this include hiking, running, cycling, swimming laps, jumping rope, any high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or sports like soccer, basketball, or singles tennis.
It is also possible to go overboard with an exercise. If you find yourself constantly feeling fatigued or experiencing any pain or soreness, frequent illness, or a decrease in your workout performance, it might be a sign that you’re overdoing it. Dr. Colvin suggests focusing on a holistic approach, incorporating exercises that include cardio, strength training, flexibility, and balance work throughout the week. (As an added bonus, she says this will also help prevent injury and improve your overall conditioning.)
What counts as moderate exercise?
As you might guess, moderate exercise is one where you can breathe a little easier and speak full sentences during your workout. This includes brisk walking, water aerobics, and dancing. Cycling done at a slower pace (think 10 miles per hour) or doubles tennis are other exercises that she says can be considered less intense. Even hobbies like gardening can be considered moderate exercise if you’re moving your body and lifting significant weight.
But just because something is moderate doesn’t mean it’s ineffective. What’s more important is finding something that suits your lifestyle and that you’ll want to do regularly.
How to get started
Don’t be scared of starting from the ground up. Dr. Colvin says you’ll want to start small and build on that momentum. Try breaking up 30 minutes of exercise into intervals throughout your day, and then gradually work toward the full half hour. “If you can’t exercise for 30 minutes continuously, breaking exercise up into 10-minute blocks of activity will also benefit,” she says.
Next, pick something you’ll enjoy (and actually want to do regularly) and set realistic goals. You can always increase intensity and length. If you find yourself getting bored with a routine easily, consider mixing up the types of exercises you do and trying a combination of cardio, strength training, and flexibility workouts.
Again, the most important thing is to stay consistent, whether that means scheduling workouts like appointments you cannot miss or finding a workout buddy to keep you accountable. Working out regularly is key.
Have a beauty or wellness trend you’re curious about? We want to know! Send Vogue’s senior beauty and wellness editor an email at beauty@vogue.com.
