⏱️ Time: 150 min/week | 🎯 Difficulty: Beginner | 📈 ROI: Compound Gain | ✅ Status: Active
Aerobic Exercise: 150 Minutes/Week
Cardio fitness is one of the strongest predictors of how long you’ll live (Blair et al., 1996; Mandsager et al., 2018). This is non-negotiable.
The Target
150 min/week moderate activity OR 75 min/week vigorous (American Heart Association, 2018).
The Protocol
If sedentary: Start with 10-15 min walks daily. Build to 30 min × 5 days.
If already active: Hit the 150 min target. Mix intensities.
If time-crunched: HIIT works. 20 min intense ≈ 40 min moderate.
If joint issues: Low-impact options: swimming, cycling, elliptical.
Always: Warm up. Cool down. Don’t skip these.
How To Track
- Weekly cardio minutes (target: 150+)
- Resting heart rate (should decrease over time)
- Fitness test improvement (1.5-mile time, VO₂max estimate)
American Heart Association. (2018). American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults
Blair, S. N., Kampert, J. B., Kohl, H. W., Barlow, C. E., Macera, C. A., Paffenbarger, R. S., & Gibbons, L. W. (1996). Influences of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Other Precursors on Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality in Men and Women. JAMA, 276(3), 205–210. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1996.03540030039029
Mandsager, K., Harb, S., Cremer, P., Phelan, D., Nissen, S. E., & Jaber, W. (2018). Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Network Open, 1(6), e183605. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605