How Often Should I Do Aerobic Exercise?

Why Aerobic Exercise Matters

Aerobic movement is one of the most evidence-based ways to improve your healthspan. It supports your heart, lungs, metabolism, and mood. It improves energy delivery to your cells and strengthens your ability to recover from stress.

Where Your optimal Recommendation Comes From

The World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Australian Department of Health all recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week.

This translates into roughly 3–5 aerobic sessions per week, depending on intensity and duration.

What Counts as Aerobic Exercise?

Any sustained movement that raises your heart rate and breathing qualifies. This includes brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, rowing, dancing, even yard work or hiking if done steadily.

We encourage starting wherever you are. A 10-minute walk is a perfectly good beginning.

Who Should Be Cautious

Aerobic goals may need adjustment if you have heart conditions, joint pain, respiratory issues, or are recovering from illness. If pain or limitation is already part of the picture, it helps to think carefully about training around injury rather than simply pushing through.

Some people may need supervision or approval from a healthcare provider before beginning a new aerobic routine.

How optimal Uses This Goal

If you enable the Aerobic Goal, we’ll track how many aerobic sessions you log per week. You choose the target, typically between 2 and 5 days.

Talk to Your GP First

If you're unsure whether aerobic exercise is safe for you, especially if you’ve been sedentary or have a health condition, talk to your doctor first.

Final Thought

Your goal isn’t to become a marathoner. It’s to keep your body moving, breathing, and recovering well, so you can stay strong, independent, and vibrant for as long as possible.

Part of the optimal health library

Set your aerobic training goal

Create a free account to set your aerobic training goal and build your personalised training plan.

Create a free account to set your aerobic training goal