We all know that exercise is one of the cornerstones of good health, and with research showing that one in four people in England do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week, it’s clear that many of us could do with moving more. The benefits of being active are well-documented, from better mental health to decreased risk of developing cancer and other life-limiting diseases.

In some ways, it’s never been easier – we have so much information and so many resources available to help us hit our fitness goals, whatever our ability. But with our lives becoming ever busier and crammed with information, the question we’d all love to answer is: just how much exercise do we really need to do in order to stay healthy?

We are all unique, and therefore it’s hard to see how a set amount of exercise will suit us all. As such, the experts are divided on whether or not it’s possible to say definitively whether there’s an ideal amount of exercise for everyone.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the perfect amount of exercise for everyone because we are all different and have different goals,” says personal trainer Lamorna Hollingsworth. “Our age, previous exercise, injury history, current health, medical conditions, time available and what we enjoy are some of the factors that should be taken into consideration.”

Despite this, the NHS recommendation of 150 minutes a week is always a good place to start. This might look like 30 minutes five times a week or three longer sessions – it’s down to personal choice. But it’s interesting to note that recent studies show that simply walking 10 minutes more every day can cut our risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

“If you’re a beginner, getting any kind of exercise is absolutely better than none at all,” advises David Wiener, trainer and nutrition specialist at fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics. “Starting with small amounts of exercise wherever you can fit it in will help you gradually build up to doing 30 mins, five days a week.”

If you’re already smashing your exercise targets, you might be wondering if there’s any benefit to doing more. Will an extra session or two a week really make much difference to your health and fitness?

“Depending on your fitness goals and levels, you can add in more exercise to your routine if you’re physically capable,” advises Wiener. “However, it is essential you have a good nutritious well-balanced diet alongside it, prioritising sleep and rest days too. If you work out too much, it can become counterproductive and may be harmful.”

With any exercise, it’s important to listen to your body and incorporate rest days into your training regime, as well as making sure you’re getting enough sleep to aid recovery.

Over-exercising can affect your mood and energy levels – leading to irritation, anger and trouble sleeping. Physically, over exercising can increase your risk of injury, joint pain and muscle strains.

This is where the advice can get a little complicated, as length is really down to individual fitness levels and capabilities. But the experts agree that you shouldn’t feel pressured to stick to a certain time frame – the important thing is that your regime works for you.

Weiner explains that different types of workouts can be beneficial in different ways. “For example, a 20-minute HIIT workout can be just as effective as an hour-long moderate cardio session. As long as you are hitting 150 minutes a week altogether, it doesn’t matter how long you work out each day. 

“A 10-minute workout is much better than nothing, but as a rule, a good exercise routine will be 30-45 minutes five days a week.”

To get the most bang for your workout buck, ideally you’ll combine different types of training throughout the week, including cardio, strength training, flexibility and balance training. And studies show that combining strength training with cardio may help you live longer, providing the gold standard workout.

But remember, the best type of exercise will always be the one that you do, and come back to time and again.

3 questions to help you work out how much to exercise 

1. How much time do you have? Find some regular slots in your diary that you can commit to each week. There’s no point in deciding you want to run a marathon if you only have small windows during the week to train.
2. What do you enjoy? Start off with exercise that you enjoy doing and that you can look forward to. Maybe you used to do something but life got in the way? Or there was a sport or class that you’ve tried in the past that you can pick up again?
3. What is going to make exercising difficult for you? Health conditions, fitness level, work/family commitments, current or recent pregnancy, time? How can you mitigate or adjust your plan to take those factors into consideration? 

Images: Getty