How Much Exercise Do Adults Need Each Week?

Seven glowing circles in an arc, each showing a different everyday activity, like a week of varied exercise.

Ask five people how much exercise adults need and you may get five different answers. The U.S. guidelines are more specific than most people expect — and more flexible.

Key takeaways

Adults need 150–300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent mix — plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days.^1,2
Adults 65 and older follow the same amounts and add activities that improve balance.³
Any amount is better than none, and shorter bouts count toward your total.^1,2

The short answer

What	How much
Moderate-intensity aerobic activity	150–300 minutes a week^1,2
…or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity	75–150 minutes a week²
…or an equivalent mix of the two	Counts toward the same goal²
Muscle-strengthening activity	At least 2 days a week, working all major muscle groups^2,4
Adults 65 and older	The same, plus activities that improve balance³

The CDC's adult recommendation is at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week.⁴ The full U.S. guidelines say adults need 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening, to get the most health benefits.¹ Because 75 minutes of vigorous activity is treated as equal to 150 minutes of moderate activity, one vigorous minute counts about the same as two moderate minutes.

What counts as moderate or vigorous?

A simple rule from the CDC is the talk test. During moderate-intensity activity you can talk but not sing. During vigorous-intensity activity you can't say more than a few words without pausing to breathe.⁵ On a 0–10 effort scale, about 5–6 is moderate and 7–8 is vigorous.⁵

Moderate intensity	Vigorous intensity
Brisk walking (2.5 mph or faster)	Jogging or running
Recreational swimming	Lap swimming
Bicycling slower than 10 mph on level ground	Bicycling faster than 10 mph
Doubles tennis	Singles tennis
Active yoga (such as Vinyasa or power yoga)	Vigorous dancing
Ballroom or line dancing	Jumping rope
General yard work and home repair	Heavy yard work, such as digging or shoveling
Water aerobics	Vigorous step aerobics or kickboxing

Examples from the CDC.⁵

Two adults walking briskly and chatting on a park path while a runner jogs past, breathing hard. — The talk test: with moderate activity you can talk but not sing.

How to fit it into your week

You don't have to do it all at once. The CDC gives one example of how to reach 150 minutes: 30 minutes a day on 5 days.⁴ The second edition of the U.S. guidelines also dropped the old requirement that activity be done in bouts of at least 10 minutes, so shorter bouts spread through the day count.¹

Using the two-to-one rule, a mix works too. For example, 60 minutes of brisk walking plus 45 minutes of jogging adds up to the equivalent of 150 moderate minutes.

Muscle-strengthening: what and how often

Muscle-strengthening is its own recommendation, in addition to aerobic activity.² The guidelines call for activities that work all of the major muscle groups — legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms — on at least 2 days a week.⁴ Walking counts toward your aerobic minutes, not toward your strength days.

Why muscle matters so much is the subject of Muscle Is an Organ: What It Needs to Survive, and what happens when it declines is explained in What Is Sarcopenia?.

Three adults of different ages doing a band row, a chair-supported squat and a light shoulder press at home.

If you are 65 or older

The CDC recommends the same weekly amounts for adults 65 and older — at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent mix — plus muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days a week and activities that improve balance.³ If you have trouble reaching these amounts, the CDC advises being as physically active as your abilities and health conditions allow.³

If you can't reach the numbers yet

Some physical activity is better than none, and health benefits increase as activity increases.³ According to the U.S. guidelines, people who are least active gain the most from even modest increases.²

Check with your doctor first if…

You have a medical condition (such as heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease), are pregnant, take regular medication, have chest pain or dizziness during activity, or have been inactive for a long time. A doctor or other qualified professional can help you choose a safe starting point.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the full 300 minutes?

No. The guidelines give a range. The CDC's adult recommendation is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, and the U.S. guidelines say 150 to 300 minutes is what adults need to get the most health benefits.^1,4 More activity brings additional benefits.³

Does walking count?

Brisk walking (2.5 mph or faster) counts as moderate-intensity aerobic activity.⁵ It does not count toward the muscle-strengthening recommendation.²

Does housework or yard work count?

General yard work and home repair count as moderate-intensity activity, and heavy yard work such as digging or shoveling counts as vigorous.⁵

Are these guidelines only for the United States?

The World Health Organization's 2020 guidelines give the same aerobic ranges — 150–300 minutes of moderate or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity a week — and recommend regular muscle-strengthening activity.⁶

The bottom line

Aim for 150–300 minutes of moderate activity (or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity) a week, add muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days, and, if you are 65 or older, add balance work. If that sounds like a lot, start with what you can do: any amount counts.

An older couple practicing balance at home, one standing on one leg with a hand on a chair.

The images in this article were created with AI tools to illustrate concepts. They are not exact anatomical depictions or scientific evidence.