INFOGRAPHIC

What the Exercise Recommendations Mean for You

Reviewed by Claudia Levi, R.N.
January 07, 2025
Exercise Recommendations and How to Make Them Work for You When it comes to your overall health and well‑being, it’s important to get regular physical activity. The Benefits of Regular Physical Activity Physical activity can help improve: Metabolism Sleep quality Bone density Energy levels Physical activity also helps reduce the risk of concerns like: High blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke Different types of cancer Type 2 diabetes Anxiety Depression Joint pain Plus, it can help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. What’s Recommended Every week, most adults should aim for: Aerobic exercise 150 minutes or more of moderately intense aerobic activity, or 75 minutes or more of vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of both Strength training At least 2 resistance training sessions Balance exercises, if you’re over 65 For older adults, at least 1 balance exercise every day is recommended. Minimal sitting Any movement is better than no movement. Get up and move around often to break up periods of sitting. Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Heart Association (AHA) Understanding these recommendations and planning how you can reach them can help ensure you’re meeting your health and fitness goals. Aerobic Exercise Also known as cardio, this type of rhythmic and repetitive physical activity gets your heart rate up. It’s good for burning calories for weight loss and keeping your heart healthy. Examples of aerobic physical activity include: Walking, jogging, and running Swimming and water aerobics Using the elliptical, treadmill, rower, or stair climber Indoor or outdoor cycling Dancing Recreational sports Hiking Jumping rope Household chores like vacuuming, shoveling, and raking leaves Strength Training This type of physical activity is also known as resistance training, weight training, or anaerobic exercise. Strength training focuses on building strength by using weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight. It helps build muscle mass and boost your metabolism. Examples of strength training include: Push-ups, lunges, crunches, and squats Weightlifting Some forms of yoga and Pilates Everyday activities like lifting a child, moving heavy boxes, and carrying the groceries Balance Exercises Many strength training and aerobic activities help improve balance. You can also do exercises specifically targeted toward improving your balance. Examples include: Yoga, Pilates, and tai chi Standing on one foot for 10 seconds or longer Walking heel-to-toe in a line Managing the Intensity Intensity is how strenuous your activity is, or how much effort you put into a workout. The more intense a workout, the more calories you burn during and after exercise. Moderate-intensity activity is exercise you can do while still being able to talk fairly easily. High-intensity activity is more vigorous, and you may feel more out of breath. Your target heart rate can also help you measure your intensity. How intense an activity is for you may depend on your unique fitness level. This may change over time, too. Target Heart Rate Your maximum heart rate (or pulse) during exercise is about 200 beats per minute minus your age. For healthy exercise, there’s a target range for how many beats per minute (bpm) your heart should have, which is a percentage of your maximum heart rate. The target heart rate for activity is: Moderate-intensity activities: About 50-70% of maximum heart rate High-intensity or vigorous physical activity: About 70-85% of maximum heart rate You can also reference the below list. Target Heart Rate for Exercise by Age (in beats per minute): 20 years:100-170 bpm 30 years: 95-162 bpm 35 years: 93-157 bpm 40 years: 90-153 bpm 45 years: 88-149 bpm 50 years: 85-145 bpm 55 years: 83-140 bpm 60 years: 80-136 bpm 65 years: 78-132 bpm 70+ years: 75-128 bpm Source: American Heart Association (AHA) The higher your heart rate, the more intense the activity. Exercising at your maximum heart rate can strain your heart and be dangerous. How to Calculate Heart Rate Wearable devices can calculate and display your heart rate for easy reference. You can also feel and count your heart rate manually: Find your pulse by placing two fingers on your inner wrist Count how many heart beats you feel in 30 seconds. Multiple the number by two to get your beats per minute. Making Workouts Work The recommended 150 minutes or more of cardio can be broken up throughout the week. For example, you could do about 30 minutes of cardio on 5 days, add strength training on 2 of those days, and take 2 rest days. If you exercise more or fewer days in the week, your sessions can be longer or shorter. Here’s another example of a weekly exercise regimen that meets exercise guidelines. Sunday: 45 minutes of brisk walking Monday: 45-60 minutes of full-body strength training Tuesday: 60 minutes of cycling, swimming, or jogging Wednesday: Rest day Thursday: 45-60 minutes of full-body strength training Friday: 45 minutes of dance, cycle, or boot camp class Saturday: Rest day Talk to Your Doctor Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program. The type of exercise you should do may depend on your current health and any conditions or limitations.  With the right guidance and mindset, you can find the activities and schedule that work for you. Sources American Heart Association. (2024) Balance Exercise. American Heart Association. (2024) How Much Physical Activity Do You Need? American Heart Association. (2024) Target Heart Rates Chart. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) Adult Activity: An Overview. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023) Physical Activity and Your Weight and Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023) What You Can Do to Meet Physical Activity Recommendations.

For the text version of this infographic, read on.

Exercise Recommendations and How to Make Them Work for You

When it comes to your overall health and well‑being, it’s important to get regular physical activity.

The Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

Physical activity can help improve:

  • Metabolism
  • Sleep quality
  • Bone density
  • Energy levels

Physical activity also helps reduce the risk of concerns like:

  • High blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke
  • Different types of cancer
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Joint pain

Plus, it can help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.

What’s Recommended

Every week, most adults should aim for:

  • Aerobic exercise

150 minutes or more of moderately intense aerobic activity, or

75 minutes or more of vigorous aerobic activity, or

a combination of both

  • Strength training

At least 2 resistance training sessions

  • Balance exercises, if you’re over 65

For older adults, at least 1 balance exercise every day is recommended.

  • Minimal sitting

Any movement is better than no movement. Get up and move around often to break up periods of sitting.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Heart Association (AHA)

Understanding these recommendations and planning how you can reach them can help ensure you’re meeting your health and fitness goals.

Aerobic Exercise

Also known as cardio, this type of rhythmic and repetitive physical activity gets your heart rate up.

It’s good for burning calories for weight loss and keeping your heart healthy.

Examples of aerobic physical activity include:

  • Walking, jogging, and running
  • Swimming and water aerobics
  • Using the elliptical, treadmill, rower, or stair climber
  • Indoor or outdoor cycling
  • Dancing
  • Recreational sports
  • Hiking
  • Jumping rope
  • Household chores like vacuuming, shoveling, and raking leaves

Strength Training

This type of physical activity is also known as resistance training, weight training, or anaerobic exercise.

Strength training focuses on building strength by using weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight. It helps build muscle mass and boost your metabolism.

Examples of strength training include:

  • Push-ups, lunges, crunches, and squats
  • Weightlifting
  • Some forms of yoga and Pilates
  • Everyday activities like lifting a child, moving heavy boxes, and carrying the groceries

Balance Exercises

Many strength training and aerobic activities help improve balance. You can also do exercises specifically targeted toward improving your balance.

Examples include:

  • Yoga, Pilates, and tai chi
  • Standing on one foot for 10 seconds or longer
  • Walking heel-to-toe in a line

Managing the Intensity

Intensity is how strenuous your activity is, or how much effort you put into a workout.

The more intense a workout, the more calories you burn during and after exercise.

  • Moderate-intensity activity is exercise you can do while still being able to talk fairly easily.
  • High-intensity activity is more vigorous, and you may feel more out of breath.

Your target heart rate can also help you measure your intensity. How intense an activity is for you may depend on your unique fitness level. This may change over time, too.

Target Heart Rate

Your maximum heart rate (or pulse) during exercise is about 200 beats per minute minus your age.

For healthy exercise, there’s a target range for how many beats per minute (bpm) your heart should have, which is a percentage of your maximum heart rate.

The target heart rate for activity is:

  • Moderate-intensity activities: About 50-70% of maximum heart rate
  • High-intensity or vigorous physical activity: About 70-85% of maximum heart rate

You can also reference the below list.

Target Heart Rate for Exercise by Age (in beats per minute):

  • 20 years:100-170 bpm
  • 30 years: 95-162 bpm
  • 35 years: 93-157 bpm
  • 40 years: 90-153 bpm
  • 45 years: 88-149 bpm
  • 50 years: 85-145 bpm
  • 55 years: 83-140 bpm
  • 60 years: 80-136 bpm
  • 65 years: 78-132 bpm
  • 70+ years: 75-128 bpm

Source: American Heart Association (AHA)

The higher your heart rate, the more intense the activity. Exercising at your maximum heart rate can strain your heart and be dangerous.

How to Calculate Heart Rate

Wearable devices can calculate and display your heart rate for easy reference.

You can also feel and count your heart rate manually:

  • Find your pulse by placing two fingers on your inner wrist
  • Count how many heart beats you feel in 30 seconds.
  • Multiple the number by two to get your beats per minute.

Making Workouts Work

The recommended 150 minutes or more of cardio can be broken up throughout the week.

For example, you could do about 30 minutes of cardio on 5 days, add strength training on 2 of those days, and take 2 rest days.

If you exercise more or fewer days in the week, your sessions can be longer or shorter.

Here’s another example of a weekly exercise regimen that meets exercise guidelines.

  • Sunday: 45 minutes of brisk walking
  • Monday: 45-60 minutes of full-body strength training
  • Tuesday: 60 minutes of cycling, swimming, or jogging
  • Wednesday: Rest day
  • Thursday: 45-60 minutes of full-body strength training
  • Friday: 45 minutes of dance, cycle, or boot camp class
  • Saturday: Rest day

Talk to Your Doctor

Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.

The type of exercise you should do may depend on your current health and any conditions or limitations. 

With the right guidance and mindset, you can find the activities and schedule that work for you.

Sources

American Heart Association. (2024) Balance Exercise.

American Heart Association. (2024) How Much Physical Activity Do You Need?

American Heart Association. (2024) Target Heart Rates Chart.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) Adult Activity: An Overview.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023) Physical Activity and Your Weight and Health.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). What Counts as Physical Activity for Adults.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023) What You Can Do to Meet Physical Activity Recommendations.