I’m often asked this question but the answer is not so simple, as the ideal amount of exercise depends on many things: age, goals, fitness level and of course how much you enjoy exercise. In this article, I strive to find the optimal solution for everyone – whether you’re a beginner, an advanced athlete, young or old.
1. Why is it important to know how much to train?
First, if you train too much, you run the risk of injury, but if you train too little, you won’t get the results you want. As with most things in life, balance is important. Exercise not only improves your physical health, but also your mental health, and recovery is just as important as the training itself. If you properly distribute the amount and intensity of your training, you can not only achieve faster results, but also more lasting ones. Many people start training with the belief that the more they move, the faster they will lose weight or build muscle, but in reality, overtraining often leads to burnout and injury.
Consistency and long-term sustainability are key to the success of any exercise program. If you spend too little time exercising, you may not see the results you want, and this can quickly demotivate you. However, if you overdo it, it can exhaust your muscles, put too much strain on your joints, and slow down your progress. That’s why it’s worth consciously planning how much time you spend exercising and at what intensity you work from the beginning.
2. What is the official recommendation?
The World Health Organization (WHO) and many professional organizations recommend that we do at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity. That’s about 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, which is easy to fit into your everyday life. But that’s not all! The recommendations also include strength training, especially to protect muscles and joints. The WHO recommends that muscle-strengthening exercises should be done at least twice a week.
Strength training increases your metabolism and helps you maintain lean muscle mass, which is especially important as you age. Strength training also helps maintain bone density, reducing your risk of osteoporosis and fractures. However, you don’t have to do the recommended 150-300 minutes a week all at once; you’re better off breaking it down into smaller chunks. For example, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week can have a significant positive impact on your cardiovascular health. It also matters if you’re active in your daily routine: walking, climbing stairs, cycling, swimming – all of these contribute to your overall fitness.
3. Training duration by age group
The amount of exercise you need depends not only on your goals, but also on your age. Below, I will break down in detail how much exercise each age group should do. It is important to note that each age group has different exercise needs, and this is worth considering when creating a training plan.
Children and teenagers (6-17 years)
Physical activity is not only important for young people’s physical health but also for their mental development. According to the World Health Organization, children and teenagers need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. This can be playing games, playing sports, or doing any form of exercise they enjoy – the key is to move regularly. Being active helps strengthen bones, build muscle, and maintain cardiovascular health. Physical activity also improves concentration, reduces stress, and helps you sleep better.
Young people often get their exercise needs met naturally, as they run, jump, and participate in everyday activities. However, with modern technology and the spread of a sedentary lifestyle, more and more children and teenagers are spending a lot of time in front of screens. That’s why it’s especially important for parents to encourage their children to get some daily exercise, whether it’s a bike ride in the park or a basketball game with friends.
Adults (18-64 years)
For adults, 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week is recommended. This may not seem like much, but it is important to do it regularly, spread out throughout the week. Adulthood is a particularly critical time for health, as lifestyle choices – including diet and physical activity – can have long-term effects on physical and mental well-being. The WHO also recommends that you do strength training at least twice a week, involving all major muscle groups.
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest challenges of modern life for adults. In the workplace, many people sit behind a desk all day, which increases the risk of the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, such as back pain or weight gain. Even if you can’t exercise every day, it’s still worth trying to incorporate more movement into your daily routine: walk whenever you can, take the stairs, or incorporate short bursts of movement into your home or work routine.
Elderly (over 65 years old)
Regular exercise is also important for the elderly but the condition of the joints and heart must be taken into account when choosing the form of exercise. For older adults, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as walking or swimming, is recommended per week. However, special attention should be paid to balance and muscle-strengthening exercises to reduce the risk of falls and help maintain quality of life.
Exercise in old age improves mobility, flexibility, and helps maintain a healthy weight. In addition, physical activity also has cognitive benefits: it reduces the risk of mental decline in old age, improves memory, and promotes better sleep.
5. What happens if you exercise too little?
Many people make the mistake of “working out” once or twice a week, which is often more about self-comfort than achieving real results. While occasional exercise is certainly better than complete inactivity, if you’re looking to achieve serious goals—whether it’s losing weight, building muscle, or improving your overall health—consistency is key. Working out once or twice a week isn’t enough to make a big difference, especially if your workout is short or low-intensity. Without consistency, the effects of your workouts will wear off over time, and you’ll easily fall back to square one.
Another common problem is that many people exercise at too low an intensity, which results in not reaching the required heart rate or muscle load. In addition, if you exercise only rarely, you will not develop a habit, which is essential for incorporating exercise into your life in the long term. Occasional exercise often does not bring the desired results, and over time you can easily lose motivation. One of the secrets to success is long-term sustainability and gradually accustoming your body to training.
Not getting enough exercise not only means a lack of physical results, but it can also affect your overall health in the long term. A sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, not to mention the negative effects on mental health. That’s why it’s important to consciously design your exercise program and strive for regularity.
6. What happens if you exercise too much?
Overtraining is a problem that can easily arise in those who throw themselves into training with excessive enthusiasm, but do not pay attention to rest and regeneration. Signs of overtraining include constant fatigue, persistent muscle soreness, lack of progress, loss of motivation, and feeling unwell after training. If you train too often and too intensely, your body will not be able to regenerate properly, which can lead to serious problems in the long run. Overtraining weakens the immune system, increases the risk of injury, and can even cause hormonal problems.
The balance between training and rest is extremely important. Progress depends not only on training, but also on giving your body the right time to recover. If you overwork yourself, your muscles will develop micro-injuries that require time to heal. If you don’t allow yourself time to recover, you won’t be able to perform at the same level the next time you train, which can lead to frustration.
It’s also important to pay attention to your mental health. Overtraining can often lead to anxiety and stress, especially if you’re not seeing results or if you feel like you’re not making big gains quickly. To get the most out of your workouts, you need to plan not only your workouts, but also your rest and nutrition.
Overall, even a few minutes of exercise a day can have a positive impact on cardiovascular health and improve metabolism. So if you don’t have the opportunity to do longer workouts, try to include several shorter blocks of exercise each day. These short, intense workouts are also a great way to increase your energy during the day and help you get through afternoon fatigue.
If you want to train for free, at home, with your own body weight or free equipment, I recommend my Youtube channel, where you can choose from 100+ workout videos: https://www.youtube.com/@DikoFitt
Let’s move with joy!
Diko
