To significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, the duration of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity should range from 560 to 610 minutes (approximately 9-10 hours) per week. These findings from a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine are 3 to 4 times higher than current public health recommendations, which are limited to a minimum of 150 minutes per week.<\/p>\n
Chinese researchers from Macao Polytechnic University analyzed data from 17,088 participants in the UK Biobank, with an average age of 57. Over a 7.8-year follow-up period, the scientists tracked the participants’ physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness \u2014 the body’s maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max<\/span>).<\/p>\n The analysis revealed that individuals who only met the current 150-minute standard achieved a minimal reduction of just 8\u20139% in cardiovascular risk. In contrast, securing real and robust protection (a risk reduction of over 30%) required 560\u2013610 minutes of intense exercise per week, a milestone reached by only 12% of the study participants.<\/p>\n The study also highlighted that less physically fit individuals must work harder to achieve the same results as their fitter counterparts. For instance, to reduce the risk of heart disease by 20%, individuals with lower fitness levels required 370 minutes of activity per week, whereas those with high fitness levels needed 340 minutes.<\/p>\n According to the researchers, a one-size-fits-all exercise standard should be replaced with personalized goals. They emphasized that the old recommendation (150 minutes) serves merely as a baseline safety margin, and that future guidelines must clearly delineate between minimum and optimal volumes of physical exertion for maximum benefit.<\/p>\n