Minimal Amount Of Exercise You Should Strive For…

Eighty percent of Americans fail to meet the recommended amount of exercise, which is 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity or 1.25 hours of vigorous-intensity activity each week… along with twice weekly strength-training workouts.

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These are the “official” US government exercise recommendations, but they are not the last word on fitness. How much exercise you need depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is the type of activity you do. The more intense you work out, the less frequently you should do it (and the shorter the duration should be).

It’s entirely possible to get a phenomenal workout in just 20 minutes two or three times a week if you’re using, for instance, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or super-slow weight training. But this doesn’t mean you should simply sit around for the rest of the week.

Regular walking (upwards of 7,000 steps a day) is also important, in addition to regular exercise. But before getting into the details, here’s something you should know: even small amounts of exercise matter… and any amount of exercise is better than none at all.

For moderate-exercise activities, which included walking, gardening, and housework, the health benefits peaked at four to six sessions per week. For more strenuous exercise (defined as exercise that caused sweating and a fast heartbeat), the benefits peaked at just two to three times per week.

Those who engaged in the more strenuous exercise two to three times a week lowered their risk of heart disease, stroke, and blood clots by 20 percent.