How Frequently Should Adults
Exercise?
Regular exercise can help you live longer and have a healthier, happier life. It can
also improve your mental health, reduce stress waow.marketminute, and lower your risk of heart disease
and stroke.
How regularly should adults exercise?
Physical activity helps prevent and treat many common diseases, such as cancer,
diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and depression. It also improves bone
strength, muscle mass and balance.
It can improve your mood and make you feel better about yourself, even in times of
sadness or stress. It can also help you cope with problems and build resilience to
deal with life’s ups and downs.
To meet the US Department of Health and Human Services’ guidelines, adults
should aim to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
and two days a week of muscle-strengthening activities for added health benefits.
If you’re new to exercise, you can start with just 30 minutes a day and slowly
increase your time over the course of a few weeks. You’ll get a lot of benefits from a
few short workouts, so it’s worth giving it a try and sticking with it.
In general, most adults need to do some level of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
for their health and well-being. This includes walking, biking and swimming.
But you’ll need to do more if you’re older or if you have certain health conditions.
Your doctor can give you more specific recommendations for your age group and
your fitness level.
You should also include exercises that strengthen your muscles, such as weight
lifting and other resistance training, on 2 or more days a week to maintain healthy
muscle mass. These exercises can be done using machines, your body weight or
heavy bags, tubing or resistance paddles in the water.
The CDC recommends adults get a minimum of 60 minutes a day of moderate-
intensity physical activity. To achieve this, you can work out on your own or in a
gym.
This can include walking, running, dancing and other types of fitness classes, as well
as more strenuous activities like jumping rope, skiing or riding a bike uphill.
It’s important to keep in mind that you should not do too much exercise if you’re
pregnant, have a chronic illness or are recovering from an injury. You should also
talk with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about the intensity of your
exercise program.
For children and adolescents, the CDC recommends that they do at least one hour of
moderate-intensity aerobic activity daily, as well as strength training for at least 3
days a week. They should perform multicomponent balance exercises more than 3
times a week to reduce falls and maintain physical ability.
As you become older, it is important to gradually increase the amount of aerobic
exercise and strength-training activity that you do. Your target heart rate (the pace
your heart can safely beat at to prevent injuries) decreases as you age, so you may
need to take a more gentle approach to cardiovascular training in the later stages of
your life.