How Much Exercise Does Your Body Need Each Week for Good Cardiovascular Health?

Regular exercisers have reduced heart disease risks.

Regular exercise reduces your disease risks, especially heart disease, and improves overall cardiovascular health. Exercise may also help overweight individuals lose weight and body fat, which is beneficial for heart disease prevention. Despite the numerous advantages from regular exercise, only about 48 percent of U.S. adults meet physical activity guidelines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Minimum Requirements

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults engage in at least 150 minutes, or two and a half hours, of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on a weekly basis to reap significant health benefits, such as heart disease prevention. The American Heart Association provides similar recommendations and suggests participating in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least five days per week. Examples of aerobic, or cardiovascular, exercises include biking, swimming, jogging, walking or using an elliptical machine.

Optimal Duration

To reap extensive cardiovascular health benefits, aim for 300 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For example, you could participate in one hour of cardiovascular exercise, like walking or jogging, five days per week to meet this goal. If you boost your intensity to a vigorous level, you would only need to exercise two and a half hours per week to reap the same cardiovascular benefits.

Considerations for Weight Loss

If you’re overweight or obese, losing weight will help reduce your heart disease risks. According to a review published in a 2009 edition of “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise,” exercising more than 250 minutes per week promotes significant weight loss. Burning an extra 500 calories a day should help you lose about 1 pound per week if your calorie intake remains constant.

Resistance Training

Although cardiovascular exercise is your main focus when it comes to optimizing cardiovascular health, resistance training may also reduce your disease risks, according to the 2009 study in “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.” Resistance training, like weightlifting, is also beneficial for body fat reduction. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the American Heart Association recommend participating in muscle-strengthening exercises at least two times each week.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Facts about Physical Activity
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Summary
• American Heart Association: American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults
• Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise: American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Appropriate Physical Activity Intervention Strategies for Weight Loss and Prevention of Weight Regain for Adults