Weekly Exercise Minutes Calculator
Moderate and vigorous minutes in, one number out, checked against the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
Moderate-equivalent minutes
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Common questions
How much exercise do adults need per week?
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans: at least 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent combination, plus muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.
How do moderate and vigorous minutes combine?
The Guidelines' rule of thumb: 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity counts the same as 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity.
What counts as moderate or vigorous?
Moderate is 3.0 to under 6.0 METs, such as brisk walking (2.5 to 4 mph) or doubles tennis; vigorous is 6.0 METs or more, such as jogging, running or shoveling snow.
Is more than 300 minutes useful?
The Guidelines say additional health benefits are gained beyond the equivalent of 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week.
How it's computed
Moderate-equivalent minutes = moderate + 2 × vigorous, compared with the Guidelines' 150 and 300 minute marks. Muscle-strengthening is checked separately against 2 or more days a week.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (2018) — Key Guidelines for Adults; intensity in METs. health.gov