Get Active
How Much Weekly Exercise?
The weekly minutes, the talk test for effort, the strength rule most people forget, and what changes after 65, all taken from official UK guidance.
General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or notice chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness, speak to a GP or health professional before you start or carry on.
In this guide
Adults aged 19 to 64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, like brisk walking or cycling, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, such as running, or a mix of both, and also do strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week. Adults aged 65 and over have the same weekly target, with extra emphasis on daily movement, balance and flexibility.
The adult exercise target in three key points
- Aerobic activity: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week, or a combination of both. The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines add that shorter bursts of very vigorous activity, such as sprinting or stair climbing, also count.
- Strength: activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week. Bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, carrying heavy shopping and heavy gardening all qualify.
- Less sitting: reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.
These minutes don't have to come in a single session, and you can swap moderate and vigorous activity throughout the week. The NHS advises spreading exercise evenly over 4 to 5 days a week, or every day. In practice, 30 minutes of brisk walking on 5 days, or 25 minutes of running on 3 days, meets the target.
How hard should exercise feel?
Forget technical units and use the talk test the NHS describes. Moderate activity raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster and feel warmer, but you can still talk, though not sing. During vigorous activity you breathe hard and fast and cannot say more than a few words without pausing for breath.
| Moderate | Vigorous |
|---|---|
| Brisk walking | Running |
| Riding a bike | Swimming |
| Dancing, water aerobics | Riding a bike fast or on hills |
| Doubles tennis, hiking | Football, rugby, netball, hockey |
| Pushing a lawn mower | Skipping, stair climbing, martial arts |
Brisk walking needs to really be brisk. If you can comfortably sing along to a song, you are strolling rather than working at a moderate pace.
What about older adults, children and pregnancy?
Older adults get a separate NHS page. People aged 65 and over should be physically active every day, even if it is just light activity, and do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week. They should aim for the same 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity if already active, and build up gradually from their current level.
Children, young people and pregnant women have their own guidance, with separate NHS pages for children under 5, for children and young people, and for exercise in pregnancy. Speak to a GP first if you have not exercised for some time, have a health condition, heart or joint problems, or are pregnant, and stop and seek advice if you get pain, chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.
The practical takeaway: 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week, spread across most days, plus strength work on at least 2 days and fewer long spells of sitting. Don't leave out the strength work; it completes the picture the guidelines are trying to get across. If you are starting from nothing, start small and build up gradually.
