A new study suggests the standard advice for how much exercise we should do may be less of a target and more of a minimum.
Researchers found that while the standard recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week was linked to some protection against cardiovascular disease, substantially lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke was associated with far more activity, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
In the observational study, researchers analyzed UK Biobank information on 17,088 adults collected between 2013 and 2015. Participants, whose average age was 57, wore wrist monitors for a week to log activity and completed a cycling-based assessment for estimated VO2 max, a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness.
Over an average 7.8-year follow-up, researchers logged 1,233 cardiovascular events, including atrial fibrillation, heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes.
The study found that hitting the current public health target of at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week was associated with only an 8-9% drop in cardiovascular risk.
Completing 560 to 610 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each week was associated with substantial protection and a 30% drop in cardiovascular risk. That is nearly three to four times higher than the current public health recommendation, and only 12% of people in this study achieved this range of weekly activity.
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Researchers also found that people with lower fitness levels had to do a bit more activity than fitter people for comparable benefits, suggesting that a one-size-fits-all recommendation may not work equally well for everyone.
The findings also offered a more detailed look at how fitness levels may shape exercise needs.
To cut cardiovascular risk by 20%, people with the lowest fitness needed about 370 minutes of weekly activity, versus 340 minutes for those with the highest fitness.
At the same time, the study is not a total reversal of current advice. The 150-minute benchmark still appeared to help and remains a realistic and beneficial starting point for many people. The research adds nuance to this public health message.
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A good step for many people is to talk with a doctor or qualified clinician about current fitness, heart health, and safe ways to increase activity.
As researchers continue pushing for more tailored guidance, personalized exercise goals may prove more useful than a single universal number.
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