Carlos Solis
General medical guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate- or vigorous-intensity —for example, brisk walking, cycling, or running.
The authors analyzed more than 17,000 adult participants in the UK Biobank who wore wrist accelerometers to measure movement and completed a fitness test. Researchers collected the activity data in 2013–2015 and linked it to hospital and death records through October 2022. Median follow-up was 7.85 years.
During that period, the study recorded 874 cases of atrial fibrillation, 156 , 111 cases of heart failure, and 92 strokes.
150 Minutes Is a Solid Baseline — Not the Limit
The analysis found that meeting about 150 minutes per week was associated with a modest 8–9% lower risk of cardiovascular events regardless of participants’ fitness level. In other words, 150 minutes offers a reliable baseline of protection.
But people who wanted larger cuts in risk needed much more activity. A greater than 30% reduction in risk corresponded to roughly three to four times the weekly activity—about 560–610 minutes per week (about 80–90 minutes per day).
Physical Activity and Fitness Aren’t the Same
Participants also completed a submaximal cycling test to estimate VO₂max, a measure of how efficiently the heart, lungs, and muscles deliver and use oxygen during exercise. This matters because two people can report similar activity habits but differ in cardiorespiratory fitness due to genetics, age, medical history, or past training.
The authors say future guidelines might separate the minimum volumes of moderate and vigorous activity needed for basic safety from the much higher volumes required to achieve optimal cardiovascular risk reduction.
Who Will Have to Work Harder
The link between activity, fitness, and risk was nonlinear. People with higher fitness had a built-in protective reserve, and increasing activity reduced their risk faster than it did for the least fit participants. But less-fit people had to spend more time to reach the same risk reduction.
- To get roughly a 20% reduction in risk, the least-fit participants needed about 370 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week; the most fit needed about 340 minutes.
- To reach about a 30% reduction in risk, estimates rose to roughly 610 minutes per week for the least fit and about 560 minutes per week for the most fit.
So, if you are currently inactive, expect to invest more time and effort than someone already in shape to get the same heart benefit.
For older adults, people with heart disease, or anyone who has been inactive for a long time, those volumes may be unrealistic or risky without consulting a doctor.
Therefore, for public health purposes, 150 minutes per week remains a useful, achievable target. But if your doctor clears you and you can safely increase your activity, your heart will likely gain extra benefit from much higher volumes—up to the figures reported in the study.
This article draws on reporting from ZME Science
Photo credit goes to Unsplash
