- Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a comparable mix.
- Adults also need muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days each week.
- The latest federal guidance also emphasizes moving more and sitting less throughout the day.
What the weekly target actually is
CDC says adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. That can also be 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
For even greater health benefits, adults can go beyond the minimum. HHS materials built around the Physical Activity Guidelines point to a higher range of 300 minutes of moderate activity or 150 minutes of vigorous activity each week for additional benefit.
- Moderate example: 30 minutes a day on 5 days each week.
- Strength target: 2 or more days that work all major muscle groups.
- You do not need to do the full weekly total in one pattern to benefit.
What counts as moderate or vigorous
CDC describes moderate-intensity activity as effort that raises breathing and heart rate enough that you can still talk, but not sing. Vigorous activity pushes hard enough that you can only say a few words without pausing for breath.
Brisk walking, recreational swimming, water aerobics, and similar movement can count toward the moderate range. Jogging, running, and swimming laps are common vigorous examples.
Why the guidance also says move more and sit less
The first key guideline for adults is to move more and sit less. HHS explains that this comes from evidence linking more sedentary behavior with higher risk of all-cause mortality, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
The same HHS guidance also notes that the older requirement for activity to happen in 10-minute bouts was removed. Smaller chunks still count, which makes the guidelines more usable in real life.