How much physical activity per week is recommended for cardiorespiratory fitness?

Research shows that regular physical activity offers numerous health benefits including, but not limited to, the regulation of blood pressure, management of anxiety and depression and the prevention of weight gain. ACSM provides recommendations and guidelines for physical activity and exercise based on the latest science and insights from health professionals.

ACSM is known throughout the industry as the "gold standard" when it comes to exercise recommendations. Thanks in large part to the publication of ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, now in its 11th edition. GETP has been a staple resource for professionals since 1975.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, gives the most current physical activity recommendations for all age groups and special populations.


 ACSM and CDC recommendations state that:

  • All healthy adults aged 18–65 years should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days per week.
  • Every adult should perform  activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of two days per week.

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How much physical activity per week is recommended for cardiorespiratory fitness?
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Aerobic activity or “cardio” gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. From pushing a lawn mower, to taking a dance class, to walking or biking to the store – these types of activities and more count. As long as you’re doing aerobic physical activities at a moderate- or vigorous-intensity, they count toward meeting the aerobic guideline.

Intensity is how hard your body is working during a physical activity.

Moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity means you’re working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell if it’s a moderate-intensity aerobic activity is that you’ll be able to talk, but not sing the words to your favorite song. Here are some examples of activities that require moderate effort:

  • Walking fast
  • Doing water aerobics
  • Riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
  • Playing doubles tennis
  • Pushing a lawn mower

Vigorous-intensity aerobic activity means you’re breathing hard and fast, and your heart rate has gone up quite a bit. You may use the Talk Test to gauge the intensity of your aerobic physical activity. If you’re being active at a vigorous level, you won’t be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath. Here are some examples of activities that require vigorous effort:

  • Jogging or running
  • Swimming laps
  • Riding a bike fast or on hills
  • Playing singles tennis
  • Playing basketball

If you are doing moderate-intensity physical activity, such as walking or hiking, you can talk, but not sing during the activity.

Build Up Over Time
If you want to do more vigorous-level activities, slowly replace those that take moderate effort like brisk walking with more vigorous activities like jogging. Learn more about getting started with physical activity to improve health.

You can do moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or a mix of the two, each week. A rule of thumb is that 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity is about the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

Some people like to do vigorous activity because it gives them about the same health benefits in half the time. If you haven’t been very active lately, however, increase your physical activity level slowly. If you have a history of a chronic disease, consider telling your doctor you are planning to increase your physical activity, including moving to more vigorous activity. You need to feel comfortable doing moderate-intensity activities before you move on to more vigorous ones. Learn more about additional types of physical activity that are right for you.

Want more tips on how you can add a variety of activities to your life? Check this out.

To maintain cardiorespiratory fitness and weight control, the recommendations state that aerobic exercise should be performed three to five days a week for 20 to 60 minutes at an intensity that achieves 55 to 90 percent of the maximum heart rate and 40 to 85 percent of the maximum oxygen uptake reserve.
Study shows this is the optimal length of exercise minimum of 5 to 10 hours of moderate physical activity (42 minutes to an hour and 25 minutes daily) minimum 2 hours and 30 minutes to 5 hours of vigorous physical activity (21-42 minutes daily)

What is the general recommendation for cardiorespiratory exercise?

ACSM and CDC recommendations state that: All healthy adults aged 18–65 years should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days per week.

How much cardiorespiratory endurance is enough?

4-6 times of exercise per week, at around 60 minutes at a time of medium intensity training is efficient. If you perform high-intensity training, 30-40 minutes is enough. Each time you workout you should strive to go a little further and have continuous progression in your performance.