How much exercise a week? The NHS answer for adults aged 19 to 64 is 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, plus strength activities on at least 2 days. The guidelines add: be active every day, spread activity over 4 to 5 days or every day, and break up long periods of sitting. This sets out the NHS page: how to tell moderate from vigorous, examples of each, and what counts as strength work.
1. Aim for 150 minutes moderate or 75 minutes vigorous a week, over 4 to 5 days or every day.
2. Strength activities working all major muscles on at least 2 days — not counted in the 150 minutes.
3. Moderate means you can talk but not sing; vigorous means you can only say a few words before pausing.
Six guidelines — NHS
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Every day | Be active every day. Even 1 or 2 sessions a week can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke | Any amount is the start |
| Strength | Strength activities working all major muscles on at least 2 days a week | Separate from aerobic minutes |
| Aerobic | 150 minutes moderate or 75 minutes vigorous a week | 75 vigorous gives similar benefits to 150 moderate |
| Spread | Over 4 to 5 days, or every day | — |
| Sitting | Sit less and break up long periods of not moving | — |
| First | Inactive for a while or a medical condition? Speak to a GP first | — |
The NHS says you can also meet the target with several short sessions of very vigorous activity, or a mix of intensities. The guidance also covers disabled adults, pregnant women and new mothers. The risks of sitting are in sitting time.
Three intensities with examples — NHS
| Intensity | How to tell, and examples | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Heart rate and breathing go up. You can talk but not sing. Brisk walking, water aerobics, cycling, dancing, doubles tennis, mowing, hiking, rollerblading | Same as the talk test |
| Vigorous | Breathing hard: only a few words before pausing. Running, swimming, fast or hilly cycling, stairs, team sports, skipping, aerobics, gymnastics, martial arts | — |
| Very vigorous | Short bursts at maximum effort with rests (HIIT). Heavy weights, circuits, hill sprints, interval running, running stairs, spinning | — |
What counts as strength work — NHS
| Type | What the source says | Worth noting (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Test | Work until you need a short rest before repeating | The point, not a rep count |
| Examples | Carrying heavy shopping, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, weights, resistance bands, bodyweight exercises, heavy gardening, wheelchair pushing, lifting children | Yoga and Pilates count |
| Counting | Strength activity doesn’t count towards the 150 aerobic minutes | 2 days on top |
After having a baby — NHS
Aim to return to pre-pregnancy levels and include strength work. Intense activity can usually start after the 6 to 8 week postnatal check, but the NHS doesn’t recommend vigorous activity if you weren’t active before pregnancy.
Checklist
- ☐ Moderate minutes this week — 150 is the target (vigorous counts double)
- ☐ Spread over 4 to 5 days or more
- ☐ Strength on 2 days — on top of aerobic
- ☐ Long sitting broken up
- ☐ Inactive or a condition? Ask first
Questions that remain
Is 1 vigorous minute worth 2 moderate?
The NHS says 75 vigorous minutes give similar benefits to 150 moderate. Reading that as one-to-two is our conversion; mixing intensities is in the source.
Is walking enough?
Brisk walking is a moderate example, so it can cover the 150 minutes. Strength on 2 days is separate. How to walk briskly is in brisk walking.
Sources
- NHS — Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 — source (reviewed 22 May 2024, next review 22 May 2027; checked 19 October 2026). Six guidelines, three intensities with examples, the strength test and examples, activity after pregnancy.
- Not read. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines the page is based on.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- NHS — for 65 and over, older adults; for children, children’s activity.
Written on 19 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
