In short
- Moderate effort: you are breathing hard but can still talk easily, though you could not sing.
- Vigorous effort: you can only say a few words before pausing for breath.
- Adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening on at least 2 days (ODPHP).
- NIDDK suggests at least 1 day of rest before working the same muscle groups again.
Federal activity targets are given in minutes of “moderate” or “vigorous” activity, which raises a fair question: how do you know which one you are doing? NIDDK, part of the National Institutes of Health, offers a check that needs no watch or monitor. It calls it the talk test.
Running the test
| What you notice | Level |
|---|---|
| Breathing hard, but you can still hold a conversation easily. You could not sing. | Moderate |
| You can only say a few words before you need to pause for a breath. | Vigorous |
NIDDK suggests starting with moderate activity and working up to vigorous activity, to avoid injuries.
How much, by the week
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, summarized by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), say adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, such as brisk walking, plus muscle-strengthening activity, such as lifting weights or doing push-ups, on at least 2 days. NIDDK puts the 150 minutes another way: a total of 2½ hours.
NIDDK adds two points about spacing:
- Spreading aerobic activity across at least 3 days a week can improve your health, reduce your risk of injury and keep you from getting too tired.
- Allow at least 1 day of rest for your muscles to recover and rebuild before working the same muscle groups again.
Choosing activities you will keep doing
NIDDK notes that you are more likely to stay active if you like what you are doing. The aerobic examples it gives include brisk walking or jogging, cycling (with a helmet), swimming, dancing, and basketball or soccer. For strength, it lists lifting weights (two full cans of food or gallon water jugs will do), push-ups, pull-ups or planks, resistance bands, and heavy gardening such as digging, lifting and carrying.
Here is one way a week could add up, worked out by us from those targets:
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Monday | 30 minutes brisk walking + strength |
| Tuesday | 30 minutes cycling |
| Wednesday | 30 minutes brisk walking |
| Thursday | 30 minutes swimming or dancing + strength |
| Friday | 30 minutes brisk walking |
| Total | 150 minutes moderate, 2 strength days with rest days between |
Sources
- NIDDK, Health Tips for Adults. Last reviewed September 2020; read October 24, 2026.
- ODPHP, Top 10 Things to Know About the Second Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Read October 24, 2026.