Everyone knows “150 minutes a week”, but how to lay out a real week is often the sticking point. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults get 150 minutes of moderate activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening a week, split as you like, such as 30 minutes on 5 days, and shows three sample weekly schedules. It also says some activity is better than none. Enter this week’s minutes to check against the guideline.
1. 150 moderate minutes + 2 strength days a week — 30 minutes × 5 days works.
2. Or 75 vigorous minutes, or a mix (1 vigorous = 2 moderate, our conversion).
3. Chronic condition or long break? Ask a doctor before vigorous activity.
Checker
Updates as you type. Counts vigorous minutes as two moderate minutes (our use of the guideline’s “equivalent mix”; 75 vigorous = 150 moderate). Strength days are counted separately.
CDC’s three sample weeks
| Example (CDC) | Plan | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Moderate + strength | Sun, Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 30-minute brisk walk; Wed, Sat weights | 150 moderate + 2 strength days |
| 2. Vigorous + strength | Mon, Wed, Sat 25-minute jog (weights Wed too); Fri weights | 75 vigorous + 2 strength days |
| 3. Mix | Sun, Wed, Sat 30-minute walk; Mon, Fri 15-minute jog; Tue, Thu weights | Equivalent to 150 moderate + 2 strength days |
In the third example, 90 walking minutes plus 30 jogging minutes (= 60 moderate) make 150 (our sum). The CDC advises you to plan with goals, stick with activities you enjoy, and track your week, with ideas for staying active while teleworking.
When to check with a doctor — CDC
Moderate activity is safe for most people. With a chronic condition such as heart disease, arthritis or diabetes, ask a doctor about the right types and amounts; if you’ve been inactive, have a disability or have overweight, ask before starting vigorous activity. Condition-specific advice is in exercising with chronic conditions.
Four weeks — our example
| This week (our example) | Moderate-equivalent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Walk 30 min × 5, strength 2 days | 150 | Met |
| Jog 25 min × 3, strength 2 days | 150 (75 × 2) | Met |
| Walk 90 + jog 30, strength 2 days | 150 | Met |
| Walk 120, strength 3 days | 120 | 30 moderate minutes short |
A 22-minute walk every day makes 154 minutes a week (our sum). Telling moderate from vigorous is in exercise intensity talk test.
As a weekly table — our layout
| Day | CDC example 1 (moderate) | CDC example 3 (mix) |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Brisk walk 30 min | Jog 15 min |
| Tue | Brisk walk 30 min | Weights |
| Wed | Weights | Brisk walk 30 min |
| Thu | Brisk walk 30 min | Weights |
| Fri | Brisk walk 30 min | Jog 15 min |
| Sat | Weights | Brisk walk 30 min |
| Sun | Brisk walk 30 min | Brisk walk 30 min |
This is the CDC’s day layout rewritten from Monday. Both plans do something every day while alternating intensity and type. To rest muscles after weights, you could split upper and lower body (ours).
Checklist
- ☐ Pick 30-minute blocks by day
- ☐ Add two strength days
- ☐ Count vigorous minutes double
- ☐ Keep a weekly log
- ☐ Chronic condition or long break: ask a doctor
Questions that remain
Do 10-minute bits count?
The page only says it can be split, such as 30 minutes on 5 days, with no minimum unit, and that some activity beats none.
How many sets of strength exercise?
The page sets 2 days a week but no sets.
Sources
- CDC — Adding Physical Activity as an Adult — source (published and reviewed 4 December 2025; checked 20 October 2026). 150 minutes and 2 strength days, 30 × 5, three sample weeks, plan, stick with it, track, when to ask a doctor, some beats none.
- Not read. The Move Your Way planner; the full US guidelines.
- What we added. The “worth noting” column and the Korean everyday gloss.
Where to check further
- Your doctor — intensity with a condition or after a long break.
Written on 20 October 2026. The content is from the source; the glosses are ours.
