How Much Exercise Do I Need to Stay Healthy?

 

There is a broad agreement for health and wellness: get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. If you break that down, that’s just over 20 minutes a day seven days a week, 30 minutes for five days, or 50 minutes three times a week. 

If you’re the type of person who wants to maximise your time, increasing the intensity from moderate to vigorous means you only need 75 minutes of exercise per week. 

 

As you can see, this is much more attainable than you may have thought. 

 

Make sure you find the time for strength exercises, like bodyweight exercises or weighted exercises, too, as weight-bearing exercises should be incorporated two times per week. 

If you want to know the minimum amount of exercise needed for weight loss, you’re not alone. This is a common (and totally normal) question. While exercise is a critical component of successful weight loss, so are additional lifestyle such as eating a healthy diet, managing stress levels, and prioritising sleep. 

 

However, short bursts of exercise can still change your body composition and health for the better. A 2017 study in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, monitored a small group of young adults. They did a 7-minute HIIT-style workout (incorporating exercises like squats and lunges) 7 days a week without making any dietary changes. The participants saw their waist circumference decrease by an average of 1.5 inches within six weeks. Their body fat percentage also decreased, and they lost a (very) small amount of weight. The researchers concluded that because they lost belly fat, these short workouts are good at improving cardiometabolic health. 

There is a broad agreement for health and wellness: get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. If you break that down, that’s just over 20 minutes a day seven days a week, 30 minutes for five days, or 50 minutes three times a week. 

If you’re the type of person who wants to maximise your time, increasing the intensity from moderate to vigorous means you only need 75 minutes of exercise per week. 

 

As you can see, this is much more attainable than you may have thought. 

 

Make sure you find the time for strength exercises, like bodyweight exercises or weighted exercises, too, as weight-bearing exercises should be incorporated two times per week. 

 

Vigorous exercise gets your heart pumping harder than moderate-intensity movement. You should not be able to string a sentence together because your breathing will be more laboured. Think about those red in the face, can’t catch your breath, heart-pumping type workouts. 

 

Vigorous workouts might include: 

There are so many different ways to move your body, none of which require a gym membership. So find ways to keep moving, even on days you exercise. Discover what brings you joy and do more of that — whether it’s a planned workout or taking care to live an active lifestyle. 

 

If you’re sitting all day, don’t forget to get up and move every so often. Research indicates that standing up every 30 minutes to move around can help decrease the mortality risk that comes with full days spent sitting. It can help to set a reminder on your phone and get up to, for example, walk up/down one flight of stairs, or take a call on your feet. You can also try walking an extra lap around the block with your dog, run around the garden with your kids, or fit in a 10-minute workout when you’re pressed for time. 

The takeaway here is to fit in exercise where you can and remember that every minute can make a difference. Just don’t forget about your recovery days: just like your body needs exercise, it also craves rest too. Rest and recovery days are equally as important for your weight loss and fitness goals so take time off from structured workouts during the week. You can try an active recovery day, which may include planned stretching, a light yoga class, a swim, or a gentle walk or bike ride. 

 

Lastly, make sure you’re getting the recommended 7 - 8 hours of sleep, eating a nutritious diet, and incorporating some stress relief practices into your daily routine. If you want to be your healthiest and happiest self, these are important.