How Long Should You Exercise For Each Day?

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What science says about how to fit workouts into your schedule
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How long you spend at the gym or in your home gym is entirely up to you and your fitness goals, but there are a few guidelines you can follow to get started. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week to stay healthy. This can look a little different depending on the type of workout you do, your age, goals, and lifestyle. We talked to personal trainers and compiled everything you need to know into this article, from how long you should be working out per session to what you should consider before making an exercise schedule.

How long should you workout a day?

The ideal workout is around 60 minutes; however, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. How long you work out depends on what type of exercise you do, your age, goals, lifestyle, and ability. If you’re weightlifting, go for 30–60 minute sessions. If you’re doing cardio, aim for at least 25 to 30 minutes at a time.

Section 1 of 10:

Ideal Weightlifting Session Length

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  1. Weightlifting , bodyweight strength exercises, and strength training are about repetition and control. These exercises follow a set-rest-repeat pattern where an exercise is done for a set amount of repetitions before you rest and move on to another exercise. So, the length of your workout depends on the number of exercises, sets, and reps you do, plus your rest time in between. It’s recommended that 1 set of exercises is 6 to 12 repetitions. [1]
    • Typically, the number of reps you do and how long you rest between sets depends on what you hope to gain. For instance: [2]
      • Muscle strength: Perform shorter sets with heavier weights and long rests in between (2 to 5 minutes).
      • Hypertrophy (increasing the size of muscles) : Do sets in the mid-upper range of exhaustion, progressively increasing the weight week-by-week, with 60 to 90 seconds of rest between.
      • Muscle endurance: Perform longer sets at the top of your rep ability with shorter rests (20 to 120 seconds).
    • If you’re easily bored or fatigued, focus on smaller muscle groups per session to cut back on your time in the gym. For example, work arms for 20 minutes one day and legs for 20 minutes another day.
    • With all this in mind, a weightlifting session can last from 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the number of exercises and repetitions you do within the session.
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Section 2 of 10:

Ideal Cardio Session Length

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  1. Cardiovascular health is incredibly important, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of intense aerobic exercise a week. [3] How you divvy this up depends on your schedule, endurance, and goals:
    • For example, you might go for brisk 30-minute walks 5 times a week, or 25-minute runs 3 times a week to meet the 150 or 75 minute goal.
    • Keep in mind that if you're training for something like a marathon, your cardio sessions will be much longer and more intense than if you were prepping for a 5K, for example.
    • As a rule of thumb, workout longer if you’re doing low-intensity exercise, and workout less if you’re doing high-intensity exercise.
Section 3 of 10:

Ideal Calisthenics Session Length

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  1. Calisthenics are often used in high intensity interval training (HIIT) and focus on increasing strength with resistance and cardio training. Experts recommend only doing 40-minute calisthenics or HIIT workouts 2 times a week to give your body time to rest and recover. [4]
    • Keep in mind that you want to workout less if you’re doing high-intensity training and workout more if you’re doing lower-intensity exercise. Some very intense HIIT workouts can be as short as 5-10 minutes!
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Section 4 of 10:

How long should you workout for mental health?

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  1. Studies have shown that those who exercise regularly are happier and healthier. [5] Moving your body for just 20 minutes daily can drastically improve your mood and help you feel better mentally. The exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous—do something that’s fun or you enjoy! Go for a morning or evening walk with the dog, dance around to your favorite album, or go for a bike ride with a friend.
    • Exercise releases endorphins or happy hormones that can help alleviate stress and help you feel energized. [6]
    • Moving your body can also improve your self-esteem, helping you feel confident.
Section 5 of 10:

What to Consider Before Timing Your Workout

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  1. How old you are may limit how long you should exercise. While it’s still recommended to get in at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, if you’re older, you may have to stagger your workouts more—and that’s no big deal! [7] On the other hand, if you’re between the ages of 6 and 17, it’s recommended to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. [8]
  2. What you hope to gain from working out can greatly impact how often you’ll exercise. For instance, if you want to build muscle, you may focus on weight training for 30 to 60 minutes every other day. Take some time to really ask yourself, “Why do I want to workout?”
    • Personal trainer Errol Ismail recommends making goals that are relevant, reasonable, and realistic: “Your goal has to be something that can actually be achieved.”
  3. The amount of time you have available to exercise can play a big part in your workout routine. This might mean you can only go on 30-minute walks 3 times a week when you don’t have work or can only spend time in the gym once a week. Some exercise is better than no exercise, so move when you can! [9]
    • As Ismail reiterates, “Everyone's schedule is different. And everyone's time demands are different. You have to figure out the time of day that works best for you.”
    • For instance, personal trainer and sports nutritionist Katie Dunlop recommends starting with a small goal and reward to keep yourself motivated: “For me, that might mean, ‘If I workout 10 minutes before work 4 days this week, I’ll treat myself to a coffee on Friday!’”
  4. The best thing you can do for yourself and your health is to listen to your body. If you’re dealing with an injury or sickness, throwing in the towel may be smarter than pushing yourself. Try not to overdo it. Instead, give your body what it needs in the current moment, even if that means briefly going against your exercise routine.
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Section 6 of 10:

How much exercise should you get a week?

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  1. The CDC recommends adults to exercise moderately for 150 minutes a week with 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity in between. [10] This can look like going on a walk every night after dinner or following along with a workout video every other day.
    • Make a workout schedule that works for you. Set aside time throughout the week to move your body in a way you enjoy. Then, get into the habit of sticking to it. [11]
    • Not sure how often you should workout? Talk to your doctor for personalized advice, especially if you have preexisting health conditions.
Section 7 of 10:

How long should you rest between workouts?

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  1. Doing the same exercise back-to-back can be strenuous on the body. To get the most out of your workout plan, make sure to schedule plenty of rest days. Experts recommend waiting at least 1 to 2 days between workouts to give your body time to recover. This way, you can hop back into your workout with full energy. [12]
    • As with how long you should exercise, there’s no one-size-fits-all for how long you should rest. Listen to your body and do what’s best for you.
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Section 8 of 10:

How to Save Time While Strength Training

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  1. To save time in the gym, alternate between 2 exercises that use opposing muscles without resting in between. This is called supersetting, and it can reduce your overall workout time while still letting you get in enough reps. [13]
    • For example, this can look like working on the dumbbell bench, then moving to a dumbbell row. Switching between these exercises back-to-back lets your chest recover while you work your back.
  2. Instead of doing small, isolated exercises, spend your time doing larger exercises that target multiple muscles at once. This can help you target more areas of the body without sacrificing time. [14]
    • For instance, instead of doing bicep curls, opt for bench presses and pull ups. Instead of a leg curl, go for a squat.
  3. Longer sets take time, and it’s better to take your time and finish your workout rather than rushing through it. So, to save time, work in smaller sets for the same number of exercises with heavier weights. [15]
    • For example, say you plan on doing a 15-rep set that takes 4 seconds. The full set will be 1 minute. But, if you do a set of 8 reps that takes 5 seconds, you’ll only have to do a 40-second set.
    • Work on increasing your weight when doing fewer reps and shorter sets. This way, you’ll get in the same amount of muscle-building without having to sacrifice time.
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Section 9 of 10:

Why is exercise important?

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  1. Yes, working out can change your physical appearance, but it can also greatly benefit your mental and overall health. Take a look at what staying physically active can do for you: [16]
    • Improve brain health
    • Help manage weight
    • Reduce risk of disease
    • Strengthen bones and muscles
    • Improve ability to do daily activity
    • Manage chronic health conditions and disabilities
    • Improve mental health and stability
Section 10 of 10:

Key Takeaways

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  1. Working out for 150 minutes a week is ideal, but the length of your workouts depend on many factors. Your age, schedule, and fitness goals play a big part in determining how long you should workout for. Even so, in a best case scenario, aim for 30 to 60 minutes a day to keep your mental and physical health at its best.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31797219/
      2. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26890971/
      3. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/walking/index.htm
      4. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33836261/
      5. ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/exercise-and-mental-health
      6. ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/exercise-and-mental-health
      7. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/adding-older-adults/what-counts.html
      8. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/children/index.htm
      9. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html
      1. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html
      2. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/physical-activity/getting-started.html
      3. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26420238/
      4. ↑ https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/what-are-supersets
      5. ↑ https://columbiaassociation.org/gyms-fitness/what-are-compound-exercises/
      6. ↑ https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/low-weight-high-reps-or-high-weight-low-reps-rcna20248
      7. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm

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