Looking Beyond the Minimum Guidelines
How much exercise do you really need? It’s a question I found myself asking whilst out on my walk/run last Sunday, listening to The Wellness Scoop podcast discuss a fascinating new study on exercise and heart health.
Last week, I wrote about finding your sweet spot — the idea that success doesn’t come from constantly pushing everything to the maximum, but from identifying the optimal level of effort that allows you to perform well, recover properly and stay consistent.
That same theme immediately came to mind as I listened to the discussion.
According to the study, the greatest reduction in cardiovascular disease risk wasn’t achieved by following the NHS recommendation of 150 minutes of exercise per week. Instead, the largest benefits were seen in people accumulating between 560 and 610 minutes of activity each week — roughly 9 to 10 hours.
That’s around four times the current minimum recommendation.
Naturally, my first thought was:
“How many hours of exercise do you actually do each week?”
Followed closely by another important question:
“What actually counts as exercise?”
More Than Just Gym Sessions
Hearing “10 hours of exercise” often conjures images of gym workouts, running programmes and fitness classes.
In reality, movement comes in many forms.
Walking the dog, brisk walks with friends, gardening, cycling to work, playing with the children, strength training, Pilates, swimming, exercise classes and even physically demanding household jobs all contribute towards your overall activity levels.
Every movement counts.
Importantly, the study focused on activities that elevated heart rate and challenged the cardiovascular system to some degree. Researchers weren’t suggesting that everyone suddenly needs to become an endurance athlete.
Rather, the findings reinforced something we’ve known for a long time: our bodies are designed to move.
The Problem With Chasing Numbers
Before anyone starts panicking about not reaching 10 hours per week, it’s worth revisiting the lesson from last week’s newsletter.
Optimal isn’t always maximum.
Although 10 hours produced the greatest reduction in risk across a large population study, that doesn’t automatically make it the perfect target for every individual.
For some people, accumulating 10 hours of activity each week may fit naturally into their lifestyle.
Others may find that aiming for that figure creates stress, fatigue, resentment and yet another impossible standard to achieve.
When additional exercise starts to compromise sleep, family time, recovery or mental wellbeing, the balance begins to shift in the wrong direction.
Finding Your Personal Optimum
What interested me most about the research was that fitness levels also played a role.
Individuals with higher fitness levels didn’t need as much activity to achieve certain health benefits as those starting from a lower fitness base.
In other words, the optimal amount wasn’t exactly the same for everyone.
Reading that immediately took me back to my dissertation from 25 years ago.
Back then, I discovered that different athletes required different resistance settings to produce their greatest power output. One athlete’s optimal setting was completely different from another’s.
Exactly the same principle applies to health and fitness today.
Different people require different levels of activity to produce their best outcomes.
Trying to match someone else’s numbers rarely works.
Discovering your own sustainable level is what matters most.
A Better Question To Ask
Perhaps the question isn’t:
“Am I doing 10 hours of exercise every week?”
Maybe the better question is:
“Am I moving enough for the life I want to live?”
Enough to support heart health.
Enough to stay strong.
Enough to maintain mobility.
Enough to keep energy levels high.
Enough to enjoy life.
And enough that I can continue doing it next month, next year and for the next decade.
After all, consistency will always beat short bursts of perfection.
What Does Your Week Look Like?
This week, take a few minutes to add it all up.
Walks. Classes. Gym sessions. Gardening. Active hobbies.
How many hours of movement do you accumulate across a typical week?
The answer may surprise you.
Should the total be lower than you’d like, there’s no need to jump from two hours to ten overnight.
Instead, look for simple opportunities to move a little more.
Just as finding the right resistance on a rowing machine leads to better performance, achieving better health isn’t about finding the maximum setting.
It’s about finding the setting that works for you.
The one that allows you to keep showing up, week after week, year after year.
Because that’s where the real benefits live.
Your Challenge This Week
Your job this week is simple.
Take an honest look at how much movement you’re accumulating across a typical week.
Then take action if needed.
One extra walk.
One additional class.
A few more active choices throughout the day.
Small changes, repeated consistently, often deliver the biggest long-term results.