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How much physical activity do you need?

July 17, 2017

To maintain your weight: Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you maintain your weight over time. However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It’s possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.

To lose weight and keep it off: You will need a high amount of physical activity unless you also adjust your diet and reduce the amount of calories you’re eating and drinking. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.

Moderate activity: if your breathing and heart rate is noticeably faster but you can still carry on a conversation.

Vigorous activity: if your heart rate is increased substantially and you are breathing too hard and fast to have a conversation. The following table shows calories used in common physical activities at both moderate and vigorous levels.

Chart below shows approximate calories used per hour in common physical activities for a 154 lb. person. (Calories burned per hour will be higher for persons who weigh more than 154 lbs. (70 kg) and lower for persons who weigh less.) For more information, visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention