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Weekly activity meter
Think about a typical week. According to the World Health Organization, 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity counts the same as 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.
Moderate-intensity activity: min / week
Brisk walking, cycling, dancing, gardening. You can talk, but you cannot sing.
Vigorous-intensity activity: min / week
Running, walking fast uphill, brisk swimming. You are out of breath and can only say a few words.
Muscle strengthening: how many days a week?
Balance and strength training: how many days a week?
The thin green line on the ring marks 150 minutes, and the full ring marks 300 minutes. This meter is for information only; it is not a personal exercise prescription.
What does the World Health Organization recommend?
The recommendations, updated in 2020, stress that activity brings benefits at any age and in any amount: a little activity is better than none.
- Adults: 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week, or an equivalent mix of the two.
- Muscle strengthening: exercises that work all the major muscle groups, on at least 2 days a week.
- 65 and over: in addition, activities that train balance and strength together to prevent falls, on at least 3 days a week.
- Sitting time: limit long spells of sitting and replace them with activity of any intensity.
Steps: 10,000 is not a magic number
A review that pooled 57 studies, published in The Lancet Public Health in 2025, compared people who took 7,000 steps a day with those who took 2,000:
The drop in the risk of death was very close to that seen in people who took 10,000 steps a day; for some outcomes, the benefit levels off after 7,000 steps. These findings come from observational studies, so they show an association rather than proof; even so, if you take few steps, every increase matters.
Activity snacks
A study of 25,241 people who did not exercise, with an average age of 62, used wrist-worn devices to measure short, brisk bursts of activity during everyday life. Over an average follow-up of 7 years, people who did 3 short bursts of 1–2 minutes a day had a 38–40% lower risk of death from any cause and from cancer, and a 48–49% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, than those who did none.
- Take the stairs at a brisk pace.
- Walk very fast for a few minutes on your way to the bus or to work.
- Carry the shopping bags, and play active games with your children or grandchildren.
- This is an observational study; it does not prove cause and effect, but it is an encouraging starting point for people who cannot find time to exercise.
Video
23½ hours of the day
A short, much-watched illustrated video by Canadian family doctor Mike Evans: how does setting aside just half an hour of the day for activity affect our health?
23½ hours: the best thing we can do for our health
It draws on research to explain the effects of activity on the heart, joints, mental health and living longer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to take 10,000 steps a day?
No. In a 2025 review that pooled 57 studies, people who took 7,000 steps a day had a 47% lower risk of death than those who took 2,000, and this benefit was very close to that seen at 10,000 steps. For some outcomes, the benefit levels off after 7,000 steps. If you take few steps, every increase is worthwhile.
Do housework and climbing stairs count?
Yes. The World Health Organization stresses that all activity counts. In a study that followed more than 25,000 people who did not exercise, those who did three short, brisk bursts of activity of 1–2 minutes a day (such as climbing stairs or walking very fast) had a markedly lower risk of death.
Do I need a gym for muscle strengthening?
No. Sit-to-stands from a chair, wall push-ups, resistance band exercises or carrying heavy shopping bags also work your muscles. What matters is working all the major muscle groups until they feel tired, on at least 2 days a week.
I do no activity at all. Where should I start?
A little activity is better than none. Start small and build up the time, how often and how hard you go; for example, you could start with a short daily walk and add a few minutes each week. If you have heart disease or a new symptom, talk to your doctor first.
Sources
- Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S, et al. World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med. 2020;54(24):1451-1462.
- Ding D, et al. Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health. 2025.
- Stamatakis E, Ahmadi MN, Gill JMR, et al. Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality. Nat Med. 2022;28:2521-2529.