Being active is important for everyone regardless of age or current fitness level. It can make your daily life better by:
- Improving mood, focus, and sleep
- Helping you feel more energized, calm, and confident
- Making it easier to do everyday activities, like carrying groceries and playing with kids
How Much Activity Do Adults Need?
Focus on moving more and sitting less throughout the day. Always remember some activity is better than none. Check with your doctor before starting a physical activity routine. Adults (18-64 years) need a mix of physical activity to stay healthy. You can aim for these recommendations, but be as active as you are able:
- At least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking
- Or 75 minutes a week of vigorous intensity activity such as jogging or running
- Or a mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity a week (A rule of thumb is that 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.)
- At least 2 days a week of activities that strengthen muscles
Types of Activity for Adults
Aerobic Activities
Anything that gets your heart beating faster counts. Based on intensity, some examples include:
- Moderate-Intensity (Can have a conversation easily)
- Walking briskly (2.5 miles per hour or faster)
- Recreational swimming
- Bicycling slower than 10 miles per hour on level terrain
- Tennis (doubles)
- Active forms of yoga (e.g., Vinyasa or power yoga)
- Ballroom or line dancing
- General yard work and home repair work
- Exercise classes like water aerobics
- Walking briskly (2.5 miles per hour or faster)
- Vigorous-Intensity (Can only say a few words before you have to take a breath)
- Jogging or running
- Tennis (singles)
- Vigorous dancing
- Bicycling faster than 10 miles per hour
- Jumping rope
- Heavy yard work (digging or shoveling)
- Hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
- Exercise classes like vigorous step aerobics or kickboxing
- Moderate-Intensity (Can have a conversation easily)
Strength Activities
Do activities that make your muscles work harder than usual. Work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms). Some examples include:
- Lifting weights
- Working with resistance bands
- Doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance (e.g., push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, and planks)
- Carrying heavy loads
- Heavy gardening (digging or shoveling)
- Some forms of yoga
- Try our strength workouts
Ready to Get More Active?
Start gradually and increase the amount and intensity of physical activity over time. Evaluate your age, level of fitness and level of experience to help reduce injury risk when increasing physical activity. The best way to get started is to focus on a light- to moderate-intensity activity, such as walking 5–15 minutes per session, 2–3 times a week. Research has shown walking to be a low risk of injury and no known risk of severe cardiac events.
No matter who you are, where you live, on your own, or together, you can find a way that works for you. Build a weekly activity plan and find tips for fitting activity into your daily routine from The Move Your Way Activity Planner.
Source:
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans - 2nd Edition, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Move Your Way®, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
