What should you be doing, and how much is enough?

When you hear the word “exercise” you might think about lifting weights or hitting the treadmill to try to lose a few pounds. Weight loss can be one benefit of getting enough physical activity, but there are other important ways that exercise helps you stay healthy – including physical, emotional, and mental benefits.

Regular exercise can help you stay physically healthy by:

• Building strength – stronger muscles help with performing everyday activities
• Helping to manage and even prevent some diseases like arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
• Helping you lose weight or keep you from gaining weight
• Giving you more energy and making you feel less tired
• Enabling you to sleep better
• Helping with balance and preventing falls

Emotional and mental benefits of exercise include:

• Less stress, anxiety, and depression
• Feeling more in control
• Improved self-esteem
• Finding it easier to plan, focus, and shift between tasks
• Enhanced reasoning and thinking
• Possibly lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease

Being active: How much is enough?

Guidance from your healthcare provider can help determine how much activity is right for you based on your lifestyle. Here are some general suggestions:
60 minutes – The amount of daily moderate to vigorous activity children and teens should get. This includes activities like walking, running, and sports that make the heart beat faster. Adults who want to lose or want to maintain weight should aim for this amount as well.
150 minutes – The minimum amount of weekly moderate activity adults should get to stay healthy. Strengthening activities should also be included two or more days a week.
Moderate activity –Some activities include walking, biking, jogging, volleyball, climbing stairs, gardening, raking leaves, and dancing. A good test is to try to talk while doing the activity. Making conversation might be a little more difficult, but you shouldn’t be gasping for air.
Vigorous activity – Some activities include hiking, running, shoveling snow, carrying heavy loads, basketball, soccer, bicycling, and singles tennis. Making conversation should be difficult at this level.
Strength exercises—Some activities include lifting weights using large muscles like in the arms or thighs, using resistance bands, and using your body weight by doing push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, and squats. These exercises strengthen large muscles or make your muscles work harder than usual. Doing these activities at least two days a week can help build strength and keep or increase muscle mass.

The four types of exercise

The best way to get enough physical exercise is to find activities you enjoy doing. Finding different ways to exercise is an important part of staying healthy. Your health care provider might recommend some of the below activities.

Endurance exercises

What it does: Endurance exercises increase your breathing and heartbeat, which improves the health of your heart and lungs.
What to do in the gym: Use the treadmill, stationary bike, rowing machine, or stair climber. If a pool is available, swimming is a great option for individuals worried about their joints.
What to do at home: Go for a brisk walk, jog, bike ride, or hike. Play tennis or basketball with friends. Even routine yard work like mowing or raking can be beneficial. Watch and follow along to a dance workout video online. Climb up and down stairs if available.

Strength exercises

What it does: Strength exercises use body weight or physical weights to improve muscle strength and make everyday activity easier.
What to do in the gym: Find a buddy in the gym to help you safely lift free weights, use weight machines as directed (using machines improperly can cause back injury), or perform body weight exercises.
What to do at home: Get creative. Find exercises that use your own body weight, like squats, push-ups, and crunches. Use resistance bands and weights if available.

Balance exercises

What it does: Balance exercises strengthen the muscles that help keep you upright such as your legs and core. They are especially important for older adults as working on balance helps prevent falls.
What to do in the gym: Join a Tai Chi class or use a balance board, if available.
What to do at home: Stand on one foot or practice walking heel-to-toe.

Flexibility exercises

What it does: Stretching improves the flexibility needed for everyday activities like bending over to pick something up or looking over your shoulder to back your car out of the driveway.
What to do at the gym: Take a yoga class, and use stretching devices like boards and resistance bands.
What to do at home: Do stretches commonly found in yoga or those found online from trusted sources like the Mayo Clinic.

Health hack:

Daily activity can help you get enough physical exercise. Try making little changes like walking when running an errand that’s close to you, parking farther away from your destination, and using the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator when possible.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things people can do to improve their health. Moving more and sitting less have tremendous benefits for everyone, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, or current fitness level. The second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provides science-based guidance to help people ages 3 years and older improve their health through participation in regular physical activity.

Preschool-Aged Children (3-5 years)

Children and Adolescents (6-17 years)

Adults (18-64 years)

Older Adults (65 years and older)

Adults with Chronic Conditions and Disabilities

Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Source: Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition.

The amount of physical activity children need depends on their age. Children ages 3 through 5 years need to be active throughout the day. Children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 need to be active for 60 minutes every day.

This may sound like a lot, but don’t worry! Children may already be meeting the recommended physical activity levels. You can also see ways to encourage children to participate in activities that are age-appropriate, enjoyable, and offer variety.

Recommendations for Children Ages 3 Through 5 Years

• Be physically active throughout the day for growth and development.
• Adult caregivers should encourage children to be active when they play.

Recommendations for Children and Adolescents Ages 6 Through 17 Years

• 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day.
  • Aerobic activity: Most of the daily 60 minutes should include activities like walking, running, or anything that makes their hearts beat faster. At least 3 days a week should include vigorous-intensity activities.
  • Muscle-strengthening: Includes activities like climbing or doing push-ups, at least 3 days per week.
  • Bone-strengthening: Includes activities such as jumping or running, at least 3 days per week.

Also, school-based physical activity can help children meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

How do I know if my child's aerobic activity is moderate- or vigorous-intensity?

On a scale of 0 to 10, where sitting is a 0 and the highest level of activity is a 10, moderate-intensity activity is a 5 or 6. When children do moderate-intensity activity, their heart beats faster, and they breathe much harder than when they are at rest or sitting. Vigorous-intensity activity is a level 7 or 8. When children do vigorous-intensity activity, their heart beats much faster than normal, and they breathe much harder than normal.

Another example is when children walk to school with friends each morning, they’re probably doing moderate-intensity aerobic activity. But when children run, or chase others while playing tag during recess, they’re probably doing vigorous-intensity activity.

What do you mean by age appropriate activities?

Some physical activity is better-suited for children than adolescents. For example, younger children usually strengthen their muscles when they do gymnastics, play on a jungle gym, or climb trees. Children do not usually need formal muscle-strengthening programs, such as lifting weights. As children grow older and become adolescents, they may start structured weight lifting programs. They may do these types of programs along with their sports team practices.

Is it okay to be physically active while I’m pregnant and after I have my baby?

Yes! If you are a healthy pregnant or postpartum woman, physical activity is good for your overall health. For example, moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, keeps your heart and lungs healthy during and after pregnancy. Physical activity also helps improve your mood throughout pregnancy and after birth. After you have your baby, exercise also helps maintain a healthy weight, and when combined with eating fewer calories, helps with weight loss.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you are pregnant, you should be under the care of a doctor who can monitor the progress of the pregnancy. Consult your doctor about whether or how to adjust your physical activity during and after your pregnancy.

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2^nd edition —

Any Amount of Time is Fine

We know 150 minutes each week sounds like a lot of time, but you don’t have to do it all at once. Not only is it best to spread your physical activity out during the week, but you can break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. As long as your aerobic physical activity is a moderate or vigorous effort, any amount of time counts toward meeting the aerobic guideline.

Are there risks involved with physical activity and pregnancy?

According to scientific evidence, the risks of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, are very low for healthy pregnant women. Physical activity does not increase your chances of low-birth weight, early delivery, or early pregnancy loss.

What are some things to keep in mind when I do physical activity during and after my pregnancy?

Unless you have a medical reason to avoid physical activity during or after your pregnancy, you can begin or continue moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity.

Physical activity is anything that gets your body moving. Each week adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity, according to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Some Activity is Better than None

We know 150 minutes of physical activity each week sounds like a lot, but you don’t have to do it all at once. It could be 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. You can spread your activity out during the week and break it up into smaller chunks of time.

Stay active: It can make life better.

Physical activity supports physical and mental health. The benefits of physical activity make it one of the most important things you can do for your health.

Move More and Sit Less

Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity gain some health benefits.

Recommended Levels For Health Benefits

Adults should follow the exercises as specified in the following options.

For Even Greater Health Benefits

If you go beyond 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity or an equivalent combination, you’ll gain even more health benefits.

Aerobic activity – what counts?

Aerobic activity or “cardio” gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. From pushing a lawn mower, to taking a dance class, to walking or biking to the store – these types of activities and more count. As long as you’re doing aerobic physical activities at a moderate- or vigorous-intensity, they count toward meeting the aerobic guideline.

Intensity is how hard your body is working during a physical activity.

Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity means you’re working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell if it’s a moderate-intensity aerobic activity is that you’ll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song. Here are some examples of activities that require moderate effort:

• Walking fast
• Doing water aerobics
• Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
• Playing doubles tennis
• Pushing a lawn mower

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you’re breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. You may use the Talk Test to gauge the intensity of your aerobic physical activity. If you’re being active at a vigorous level, you won’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Here are some examples of activities that require vigorous effort:

• Jogging or running
• Swimming laps
• Riding a bike fast or on hills
• Playing singles tennis
• Playing basketball

If you are doing moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking or hiking, you can talk, but not sing during the activity.

Build Up Over Time
If you want to do more vigorous-level activities, slowly replace those that take moderate effort like brisk walking with more vigorous activities like jogging. Learn more about getting started with physical activity to improve health.

You can do moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a mix of the two, each week. A rule of thumb is that 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

Some people like to do vigorous activity because it gives them about the same health benefits in half the time. If you haven’t been very active lately, however, increase your physical activity level slowly. If you have a history of a chronic disease, consider telling your doctor you are planning to increase your physical activity, including moving to more vigorous activity. You need to feel comfortable doing moderate-intensity activities before you move on to more vigorous ones. Learn more about additional types of physical activity that are right for you.

Muscle-strengthening activities – what counts?

Physical activities to strengthen your muscles are recommended at least 2 days a week. Activities should work all the major muscle groups of your body—legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms. Muscle-strengthening activities should be done in addition to your aerobic activity.

To gain health benefits, you need to do muscle-strengthening activities to the point where it’s hard for you to do another repetition without help. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting a weight or doing a sit-up. Try to do 8-12 repetitions per activity, which counts as 1 set. Try to do at least 1 set of muscle-strengthening activities. To gain even more benefits, do 2 or 3 sets.

You can do activities that strengthen your muscles on the same or different days that you do aerobic activity—whatever works best for you.
There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it’s at home or the gym. You may want to try the following:

• Lifting weights
• Working with resistance bands
• Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups)
• Heavy gardening (e.g., digging, shoveling)
• Some forms of yoga

Regular physical activity provides important health benefits for those with chronic health conditions or disabilities, including cancer survivors and people with osteoarthritis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, spinal cord injury, dementia, and other cognitive disorders.

Adults with Chronic Conditions and Disabilities

Benefits

Examples of Physical Activity

Note: If you have chronic health conditions or disabilities, you can consult a health care professional or physical activity specialist about the types and amounts of activity appropriate for your abilities.

Physical Activity is Essential to Healthy Aging

As an older adult, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can prevent or delay many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It also helps your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing your day-to-day activities without becoming dependent on others.

Keep in mind, some physical activity is better than none at all. Your health benefits will also increase with the more physical activity that you do.

Adults aged 65 and older need:

• At least 150 minutes a week (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking. Or they need 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity such as hiking, jogging, or running.
• At least 2 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles.
• Activities to improve balance such as standing on one foot about 3 days a week.

If chronic conditions affect your ability to meet these recommendations, be as physically active as your abilities and conditions allow.

Move More and Sit Less

Older adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Keep in mind, some physical activity is better than none. Older adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity gain some health benefits. Your health benefits will also increase with the more physical activity that you do.

Older adults should follow the exercises as specified in the following options. 

Multicomponent Physical Activity

• Multicomponent physical activity includes more than one type of physical activity, such as aerobic activity, muscle strengthening, and balance training. Multicomponent physical activity can be done at home or in a community setting as part of a structured program. Activities may include gait, coordination, and physical function training. Recreational activities such as dancing, yoga, tai chi, gardening, or sports can also be considered multicomponent because they often incorporate multiple types of physical activity.
• Older adults should include stretching and balance activities as part of their weekly physical activity. Doing multicomponent physical activities can help reduce the risk of injury from falls and improve physical function.

Aerobic Activity – What Counts?

Aerobic physical activity or “cardio” gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. From pushing a lawn mower, to taking a dance class, to walking or biking to the store – these types of activities and more count. As long as you’re doing aerobic physical activities at a moderate- or vigorous-intensity, they count towards meeting the aerobic guideline. Even something as simple as walking is a great way to get the aerobic activity you need, as long as it’s at a moderately intense pace.

Intensity is how hard your body is working during physical activity. Try a few of these aerobic activities:

• Walking or hiking
• Some forms of yoga
• Some yard work, such as raking and pushing a lawn mower
• Bicycle riding (stationary or outdoors)
• Water aerobics

How do you know if you’re doing moderate or vigorous aerobic activity?

On a 10-point scale, where sitting is 0 and working as hard as you can is 10, moderate-intensity aerobic activity is a 5 or 6. It will make you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. You’ll also notice that you’ll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song.

Vigorous-intensity activity is a 7 or 8 on this scale. Your heart rate will increase quite a bit, and you’ll be breathing hard. You won’t be able to say more than a few words without stopping to catch your breath.

You can do moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a mix of the two each week. Intensity is how hard your body is working during aerobic activity. A rule of thumb is that 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

Everyone’s fitness level is different. This means that walking may feel like a moderate-intensity activity to you, but for others, it may feel vigorous. It all depends on you – the shape you’re in, what you feel comfortable doing, and your health condition. What’s important is that you do physical activities that are right for you and your abilities.

Muscle-strengthening Activities – What Counts?

Besides aerobic activity, you need to do things to make your muscles stronger at least 2 days a week. These types of activities will help keep you from losing muscle as you get older.

To gain health benefits, you need to do muscle-strengthening activities to the point where it’s hard for you to do another repetition without help. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting a weight or doing one sit-up. Try to do 8-12 repetitions per activity, which counts as 1 set. Try to do at least 1 set of muscle-strengthening activities, but to gain even more benefits, do 2 or 3 sets.

There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it’s at home or the gym. The activities you choose should work all the major muscle groups of your body (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms). You may want to try:

• Lifting weights
• Working with resistance bands
• Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (push-ups, sit-ups)
• Heavy gardening (digging, shoveling)
• Some forms of yoga

Balance Activity — What Counts?

Balance activities help prevent falling. Walking backward, standing on one leg, or using a wobble board are examples of balance activities. Strengthening back, abdomen, and leg muscles also improves balance.

People who do little or no physical activity are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 than those who are physically active. Specific findings from a CDC systematic review found that physical activity is associated with a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, while inactivity increases that risk.

Additional Benefits of Physical Activity

Physical activity is one of the best ways people can improve their health now and in the future. People who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits. Physical activity is important for:

• Mental health and cognitive function: Physical activity can have immediate benefits for mood, including reducing feelings of anxiety. In the long term, it can reduce the risk of dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) and depression.
• Reducing risk of chronic conditions: Regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.
• Sleep: Physical activity can improve sleep quality. Getting enough sleep is not a luxury—it’s fundamental to good health.
• Immune function: Emerging research suggests physical activity may also boost immune function.

Physical Activity Matters—For Our Nation and For Our Communities

How Much Physical Activity Do I Need?

See physical activity recommendations for different groups, including:

• Children age 3-5.
• Children and adolescents age 6-17.
• Adults age 18-64.
• Adults 65 and older.
• Adults with chronic health conditions and disabilities.
• Healthy pregnant and postpartum women.

Too few Americans get the recommended amount of physical activity.

• 1 in 4 adults is inactive, meaning they don’t get any physical activity outside of their regular job.
• CDC maps show significant disparities in levels of inactivity by location and race/ethnicity. The lowest rate of inactivity was 17.7% (Colorado) and the highest was 49.4% (Puerto Rico).
• Only about 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 6 high school students fully meets physical activity guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

Physical inactivity costs lives and dollars.

• Inactivity contributes to 1 in 10 premature deaths.
• Inadequate levels of physical activity are associated with $117 billion in annual health care costs.
• If US adults increased their average physical activity participation just 10 minutes per day, over 110,000 lives per year could be saved.

Between work, school, errands, volunteering, and family commitments, finding time for physical activity can be challenging. If that describes you, remember that some movement is better than none! Even small bouts of physical activity provide some health benefits.

Walking more is an easy way for most people to add physical activity to their day. Try these tips and see how fast the minutes add up.

• Instead of sitting and waiting while your child is at sports practice, walk around the field.
• Walk your dog a little farther than you normally do.
• Find a convenient path near your home or work. Set specific times to walk there and walk to routine destinations.
• Host a virtual walking meeting. Walk and talk over work problems with your co-workers for the first 20 minutes.
• Make a walking date with a friend or family member. Skip the flavored coffee and do a loop around a park or the neighborhood instead.
• Take a walking lunch break. Keep walking shoes and socks in your car or filing cabinet.
• If you normally walk outside but the weather is bad, head to the local mall for a climate-controlled walk.
• Stop circling parking lots looking for a close spot. Park further away and walk briskly to your destination. You could get a few more minutes of physical activity by walking around the entire parking lot before going inside.
• At airports, walk to your concourse instead of taking a shuttle or tram.

Getting Started

Start slowly and work up to being physically active 150 minutes a week. You might split that into 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. See examples of weekly physical activity schedules for adults and come up with a plan that works for you. Using a physical activity diary might help.

Eventually, you will want to walk at a moderate intensity pace. That means you’ve raised your heart rate and broken a sweat. In general, at moderate intensity, you can talk, but you can’t sing.

Finding time to be consistently physically active is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health. Being physically active can help you feel better immediately, and regular physical activity can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease and some cancers. Start with a few extra minutes of physical activity today, then add a few more minutes tomorrow, and soon you’ll reach the goal of 150 minutes a week.