In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleHow Much You NeedBenefits of ExerciseTips to Exercise Daily
In This ArticleView All
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In This Article
How Much You Need
Benefits of Exercise
Tips to Exercise Daily
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Eating Well/Getty Images
Let’s be honest: Maintaining a consistent exercise routine can feel daunting, especially with the ever-present demands of work and family life. If you can relate, you may wonder what’s the least amount of exercise you can do (also called “minimum effective dose”) while still reaping the many health benefits of regular exercise.
The good news is you don’t need to spend countless hours at the gym or purchase expensive fitness equipment to see results. Here, we’ll explore the minimum effective dose of exercise according to fitness experts and share strategies for incorporating fitness into your busy day.
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How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?
The “minimum effective dose” of exercise refers to the smallest amount of physical activity required to achieve noticeable health benefits. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise weekly. This works out to 30 minutes, five days a week, or 20 minutes daily if you prefer shorter sessions,” notesAnthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, a certified personal trainer and NASM-certified nutrition coach.
Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise includes activities likebrisk walking, cycling or swimming—anything that raises your heart rate but doesn’t leave you gasping for air.
For those short on time, the guidelines recommend 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise.Stephen Sheehan, CSCS, CNC, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and certified nutrition coach, points out that running orhigh-intensity interval training(HIIT) are considered vigorous-intensity activities and can achieve similar results as moderate-intensity ones.
However, cardio (aka aerobic exercise) alone isn’t enough to optimize your health. Resistance training is just as important. “Start with two resistance-training workouts and at least two moderate-intensity cardio sessions a week,” Sheehan suggests. “This combination supports overall strength, cardiovascular health and lean muscle development.” This recommendation aligns with the CDC’s physical activity recommendations.
A 2021 meta-analysis found that doing just one set of six to 12 reps at 70% to 85% of your max effort two or three times a week can significantly increase strength in trained men. Over eight to 12 weeks, participants saw gains of about 17.5 kilograms (38 pounds) in the squat and 8.25 kg (18 lbs.) in the bench press, indicating that even minimal training can result in noticeable results.
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“Aerobic exercise is vital to maintaining cardiovascular health and managing your weight,” O’Reilly explains. “It’s also beneficial for mental health, bone density and maintaining balance.”
Here are the benefits of incorporating the minimum recommended amounts of aerobic exercise and resistance training into your weekly routine.
You May Improve Cardiovascular Health
You Can Build and Maintain Strength and Muscle Mass
Strength trainingisn’t just for bodybuilders. The National Institute on Aging highlights that incorporating strength training into your fitness routine is crucial for maintaining muscle mass, which naturally declines with age.
“Strength training gives you an opportunity to develop strength and build lean muscle,” says Sheehan. “Adding lean muscle improves metabolism, reduces the risk of diabetes and enhances overall functionality in daily life.”
You May Enhance Mental Health
Physical activity is a natural mood booster since it releases endorphins, your body’s feel-good chemicals. Research has suggested that exercising outdoors can even be extra beneficial and help reduce stress and anxiety.Sheehan notes that simple activities like amorning walkcan “set a positive tone for the day.”
You Can Improve Bone and Joint Health
Weight-bearing exercises like walking or resistance training strengthen bones and supportjoint health, reducing your risk of bone loss and developing osteoporosis and arthritis.O’Reilly says, “Even minimal effort can improve bone density and overall balance, especially in older adults.”
You May Increase Longevity
A 2019 review concluded that those who meet the 150-minute exercise guideline have a significantly lower risk of chronic diseases, including diabetes, some types of cancer and hypertension.“Resistance training reduces all-cause mortality and decreases the risk of metabolic conditions,” O’Reilly explains.
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Tips for Fitting Exercise into Your Day
With schedules busier than ever, finding time to exercise can seem impossible. Fortunately, these strategies can help make incorporating exercise into your day more manageable.
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Everyone’s preferences, schedules and needs are different. The key is finding what works for your schedule, lifestyle and fitness level. If you’re a beginner, start small and gradually increase your exercise intensity and duration to preventburnoutand reduce injury risk.
“It’s essential to focus on quality over quantity,” says O’Reilly. “Doing the right amount of exercise effectively is better than overdoing it and burning out.”
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The Bottom Line
But don’t let that number scare you! If you divide 150 minutes among five or seven days per week, it comes down to 20 to 30 minutes daily. And to fit that time into your busy schedule, try splitting your workouts into shorter sessions, incorporating movement into daily routines, and prioritizing simple, enjoyable activities that can make squeezing in exercise time easier.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Spiering BA, Mujika I, Sharp MA, Foulis SA.Maintaining Physical Performance: The Minimal Dose of Exercise Needed to Preserve Endurance and Strength Over Time.J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(5):1449-1458. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003964Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults.Androulakis-Korakakis P, Fisher JP, Steele J.The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required to Increase 1RM Strength in Resistance-Trained Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports Med. 2020;50(4):751-765. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01236-0National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Physical Activity and Your Heart Benefits.National Institute on Aging.How can strength training build healthier bodies as we age?Ma J, Lin P, Williams J.Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: a systematic review.Curr Psychol. 2024;43, 9521–9539. doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05112-zNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Exercise for Your Bone Health.Anderson E, Durstine JL.Physical activity, exercise, and chronic diseases: A brief review.Sports Med Health Sci. 2019;1(1):3-10. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2019.08.006
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.Spiering BA, Mujika I, Sharp MA, Foulis SA.Maintaining Physical Performance: The Minimal Dose of Exercise Needed to Preserve Endurance and Strength Over Time.J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(5):1449-1458. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003964Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults.Androulakis-Korakakis P, Fisher JP, Steele J.The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required to Increase 1RM Strength in Resistance-Trained Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports Med. 2020;50(4):751-765. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01236-0National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Physical Activity and Your Heart Benefits.National Institute on Aging.How can strength training build healthier bodies as we age?Ma J, Lin P, Williams J.Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: a systematic review.Curr Psychol. 2024;43, 9521–9539. doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05112-zNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Exercise for Your Bone Health.Anderson E, Durstine JL.Physical activity, exercise, and chronic diseases: A brief review.Sports Med Health Sci. 2019;1(1):3-10. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2019.08.006
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Spiering BA, Mujika I, Sharp MA, Foulis SA.Maintaining Physical Performance: The Minimal Dose of Exercise Needed to Preserve Endurance and Strength Over Time.J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(5):1449-1458. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003964Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults.Androulakis-Korakakis P, Fisher JP, Steele J.The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required to Increase 1RM Strength in Resistance-Trained Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports Med. 2020;50(4):751-765. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01236-0National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Physical Activity and Your Heart Benefits.National Institute on Aging.How can strength training build healthier bodies as we age?Ma J, Lin P, Williams J.Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: a systematic review.Curr Psychol. 2024;43, 9521–9539. doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05112-zNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Exercise for Your Bone Health.Anderson E, Durstine JL.Physical activity, exercise, and chronic diseases: A brief review.Sports Med Health Sci. 2019;1(1):3-10. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2019.08.006
Spiering BA, Mujika I, Sharp MA, Foulis SA.Maintaining Physical Performance: The Minimal Dose of Exercise Needed to Preserve Endurance and Strength Over Time.J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(5):1449-1458. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003964
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults.
Androulakis-Korakakis P, Fisher JP, Steele J.The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required to Increase 1RM Strength in Resistance-Trained Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports Med. 2020;50(4):751-765. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01236-0
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Physical Activity and Your Heart Benefits.
National Institute on Aging.How can strength training build healthier bodies as we age?
Ma J, Lin P, Williams J.Effectiveness of nature-based walking interventions in improving mental health in adults: a systematic review.Curr Psychol. 2024;43, 9521–9539. doi:10.1007/s12144-023-05112-z
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Exercise for Your Bone Health.
Anderson E, Durstine JL.Physical activity, exercise, and chronic diseases: A brief review.Sports Med Health Sci. 2019;1(1):3-10. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2019.08.006
