Fitness guidelines may require more than 150 minutes weekly

What's happened

New UK-based study using UK Biobank data indicates that while 150 minutes per week reduces cardiovascular risk, those with low cardiorespiratory fitness may need 30–50 extra minutes to achieve similar protection; higher volumes could reduce risk by 30% or more.

What's behind the headline?

Key takeaways

The 150-minute guideline provides a modest safety margin, but optimal protection may require substantially higher activity levels.
Those with lower fitness gain less protection at the same weekly total and may need extra minutes.
Experts caution against recommending extreme weekly volumes; the public should still aim for at least 150 minutes, with more benefiting higher-risk groups.

What this means for readers

If you are less fit, increments of activity beyond the minimum can yield meaningful heart health gains, but the absolute upper guidance should be interpreted cautiously.
Public health messaging may evolve to distinguish minimal guidance from higher-volume strategies.

Next steps

Further research could refine thresholds by age, sex, and baseline fitness to tailor recommendations.

How we got here

Researchers analysed data from 17,000+ middle-aged adults over eight years, measuring fitness via VO2 max and tracking activity with wearables. The findings suggest public guidelines may differentiate minimal safety margins from volumes needed for optimal cardiovascular protection.

Our analysis

The Guardian (Anna Bawden) and The Independent (Ella Pickover) report on a UK Biobank-based study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, with commentary from Oxford researchers and Sport England. See Guardian: 'People who are the least fit need to do 30-50 minutes more exercise a week...' and Independent: 'This finding challenges the established guideline...'

Go deeper

How much more exercise would you need if you consider yourself low-fitness?
Should public guidelines differentiate between minimal safety margins and optimal protection?