Weekly Activity Targets: What To Do
The amount and type of physical activity UK and WHO guidance asks of adults each week.
Last revised
Almost everyone remembers the cardio half of the target and ignores the strength half, which is the part that preserves independence with age.
Key takeaways
- Moderate activity: 150 minutes a week
- Vigorous activity: 75 minutes a week, as an alternative
- Most useful single change: Count activity you already do; commuting and housework are activity.
- Commonest mistake: Treating cardio as a substitute for strengthening.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Do
- Count activity you already do; commuting and housework are activity
- Break it into ten-minute blocks if a single session is unrealistic
- Put the strength sessions on fixed days so they become a routine
- Add balance work from your sixties onward
Do not
- Treating cardio as a substitute for strengthening
- Going from nothing to five sessions a week
- Ignoring the sedentary recommendation, which is separate from the activity one
The figures behind the list
Each item above follows from these, published in the guidance named at the foot of the page.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Moderate activity | 150 minutes a week |
| Vigorous activity | 75 minutes a week, as an alternative |
| Muscle strengthening | at least 2 days a week |
| Additional over 65 | balance activities on 2 or more days |
| Moderate intensity test | able to talk but not sing |
Where to go next
- Weekly Activity Targets: What to Do, in Order
- What People Get Wrong About Weekly Activity Targets
- Weekly Activity Targets — the reference entry
- Resistance Training: What the Evidence Actually Says
- The Evidence on Walking, Without the Hype
When to get help
Speak to a GP before starting if you have a heart condition, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or a recent injury or surgery. Stop immediately and seek urgent help for chest pain, pressure or tightness, severe breathlessness, dizziness or fainting during exercise.
Where this comes from
- UK Chief Medical Officers — Physical Activity Guidelines
- World Health Organization — physical activity guidelines
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.