A few years ago, personal trainer Anna Maltby cut back on exercise as she juggled work with being a new mother. Like some of her clients, she suddenly lacked the time and energy to work out the way she used to. She could manage no more than several 15-minute workouts per week, “but I actually felt like I got my minimum effective dose for that stage of my life,” she says.
Many of us feel like we’re too busy for exercise. Others actively avoid it. But research shows that doing at least exercise is important for longer, healthier lives without , , , or .
Other advantages are reaped right away: we’re and more on a daily basis. So, just how little exercise can you get away with, while still getting these benefits? Here’s how low you can go, according to experts. Getting there may require changing how we define exercise in the first place.
from the World Health Organization, the U.S. government, and other groups give adults a few choices for how low they can go with aerobic physical activity on a weekly basis.
One option is getting at least 75 to 150 minutes of “vigorous” activity, meaning your level of huffing and puffing , and your heart rate rises to about 80% of its peak. Another option takes longer, but it’s less intense: 150 to 300 minutes of “moderate” activity, at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. You could also combine just enough vigorous and moderate exercise so they add up to the weekly minimum.
Because tougher workouts are especially health-giving,.
