New research has proven that it is not mandatory that you should exercise every day to be able to live longer, but that if you exercise for 150 minutes a week, you can achieve this goal.
It might be that you feel guilty if you’re engaging in your professional, family, and packed weekday program and you’re not exercising daily.
But don’t worry, because some reliable information presents in one 2025 major study in the Journal of the American Heart Association which proved that doing just 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity once or in two sessions a week — moreover, on weekends — cuts the risk of dying from any cause by 32%.
That’s almost as effective as it would be if you did workouts throughout the week.
Thus, you’re the one who calls the shots when it comes to the frequency of doing sports; the ball is in your court.
What Exactly is the 150 Minutes of Moderate Aerobic Activity Per Week?
To be in compliance with federal regulations, you must have at least two and a half hours of moderate aerobic activity per week – it is up to you to decide how many sessions you want to break it into.
Moderate aerobic activity includes:
- Brisk walking
- Light cycling
- Swimming laps at an easy pace
- Playing pickleball or doubles tennis
- Mowing the lawn or pushing a stroller uphill
If you wish, you are provided with an option to go for vigorous activity for 75 minutes (running, HIIT) instead of getting involved in moderate for a longer period.
The bottom line is that the impact of your workout on your overall heart health, whether you decide to exercise one more time per day, or you prefer to get it all done on Saturday and Sunday is virtually the same.
The 2025 Study That Changes Everything
Researchers followed over 89,000 participants for 6 years and revealed the following through their research:
- People who exercised just 1-2 days per week still saw a 32% reduction in all-cause mortality.
- People who spread their workouts throughout the week had a 34% reduction – only slightly higher.
- Both groups witnessed a massive reduction in the risk of getting a heart attack and dying from cancer.
This implies that although the body does not need going to the gym every day to stay alive longer the number of minutes should be consistent.
What This Means for Busy Americans
If you can’t make time to go to the gym during the week, you are in the same boat as millions of others. Work, family, school functions, and stress can interfere with your gym time, and it may seem like you are not getting enough exercise no matter what you do.
Would you still accomplish the 150-minute target in 2 days as follows?
- Saturday: 45-minute brisk walk + 30-minute cycling session
- Sunday: 40-minute jog + 35-minute yoga flow
Or even more simply:
- Hiking trip in the weekend
- Swimming for lengthy periods
- Two dances in a row
- Two 75-minute home cardio workouts
If you keep moving continuously, you can still protect your heart and stay healthy overall, even though it is crowded over the weekend only.
