How much cardiorespiratory exercise is enough?

We all know we should exercise, but navigating the details of fitness can be confusing.

Dr. Kathy Smith, CSU assistant professor of kinesiology, has the answers if you are looking to avoid disease, want to be physically fit or want to reach peak performance. She has a handy chart that explains how much cardiorespiratory exercise is enough for each category.

To Avoid Disease:

• Frequency: 4-7 days a week
• Intensity: moderate to somewhat hard
• Time commitment: ½ hour a day
• Total miles: about 6-12 a week

To Be Fit:

• Frequency: 3-4 days a week
• Intensity: somewhat hard to hard
• Time commitment: 30-45 minutes a day
• Total miles: about 10 a week

To Reach Performance Level:

• Frequency: 7 days a week x 2
• Intensity: very hard to all-out effort
• Time commitment: 2 hours a day
• Total miles: about 100 a week

Simply put, any exercise is better than none at all. Which category do you fit in, currently?

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