What's the recommended amount of physical activity for adults?

The US Surgeon General recommends accumulating 30 minutes of activity most days of the week. Assuming that an individual gets 6,000 steps from their other daily activities, 30 minutes of walking can help one achieve a goal of approximately 10,000 steps per day.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults strive to meet either of the following physical activity recommendations:

  1. Engage in moderate-intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes on 5 or more days of the week (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/American College of Sports Medicine)
  2. Engage in vigorous-intensity physical activity 3 or more days per week for 20 or more minutes per occasion (Healthy People 2010)

For more information and suggestions on how to reach physical activity goals that are right for you, read The 20% Boost Program: Fit Walking into Your Life, How Many Steps to Health? How Do I Know if I'm Walking Enough?, and the CDC's Physical Activity Topics.

See also, "Should adults get 10,000 steps a day?"

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