How Often Should You Work Out? Here's What New Research Says

The current guidelines from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommend that, per week, adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity, 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of the two. That breaks down to 2.5 to five hours of moderate-intensity activity (such as briskly walking or playing pickleball), and one hour and 15 minutes to 2.5 hours of vigorous activity (such as running or even shoveling snow). For context, if you did 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a day, that would get you to 210 minutes for the week.

However, the HHS notes that you can certainly go above these recommendations and that more physical activity generally confers more health benefits, to a certain extent. In fact, a July 2022 study published in the American Heart Association's journal, Circulation, found that people who worked out two to four times more than the minimum recommendation lived longer than those who didn't move that much. But anyone who met the HHS guidelines benefitted significantly from reduced mortality risk. The study, which looked at 116,221 people over 30 years, found that more active people had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, as well as any other cause.

You've got the number of days down. Now, how long do you need to buckle down for each day? Cruz recommends that "workouts last anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes." The range depends on the intensity of the workout. A rule of thumb: the more intense the workout, the shorter it should be.

For longer workouts, Cruz suggests splitting them up into 30 to 45 minutes of weight training, then finishing off with 20 to 30 minutes of cardio. If you're a bit squeezed for time, Cruz's go-to workout is a 30-minute circuit or high-intensity interval (HIIT) workout.

Now you have a better idea of how often to work out, but how do you know what type of exercise you should be doing? Thankfully, it's not complicated.

"There are many different ways of working out," Cruz says, and you can generally do whatever you like best. (After all, the best workout is the one you enjoy doing and want to keep coming back to.) "You can do an interval-style workout on the elliptical, resistance train using cables or free weights, or even take a group class," he says. Remember that the HHS even counts things like brisk walking, raking leaves, or carrying things up the stairs as physical activity, too.

All in all, variety and consistency are the key. By continuing to do similar workouts and exercises over time, you'll feel the movements get easier, and you'll get that satisfying feeling of moving up to the next pair of dumbbells. If you're sticking with three days per week, Cruz recommends breaking those days up into upper-body, lower-body, and core and cardio workouts. You'll be able to get the benefits of both strength training and cardio — which are equally important in maintaining your health and staying strong and healthy for life.

We're idealists, planning to do every workout we ever committed to, reading every book, and even flossing twice a day. But it's important to be realistic. Cruz even admits these recommendations are based on an ideal situation and to never feel guilty or get down on yourself if you miss a workout or have to cut one short.

"Anything is better than nothing," Cruz says. Ultimately, you should experiment and find what works best for you. Everyone is different, and every week is different. Whether you have time for a hot-girl walk around the block, a scenic bike ride, just five minutes of core work, or a whole hour to spend in the gym, what matters is that you get your body moving when you can.

Just remember that consistency is the most important thing. One moment doesn't define you — and one workout won't make or break your goals.