Overview
- Researchers reporting Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that 560–610 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activity was associated with more than a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular events.
- Meeting the current 150‑minute guideline was linked to only an 8–9% risk reduction, indicating that the standard target functions as a minimum rather than an optimal dose for heart protection.
- The analysis drew on 17,088 UK Biobank participants who wore wrist trackers for seven days and completed a cycling test to estimate VO2 max, then were followed for about eight years during which 1,233 cardiovascular events occurred.
- Benefits varied by baseline fitness, as those with the lowest cardiorespiratory fitness needed roughly 30–50 extra minutes a week to match the same risk reduction, for example 370 versus 340 minutes to reach a 20% cut.
- Only about 11–12% of participants reached 560–610 minutes a week, and experts cautioned against treating that level as a public target, urging people to keep aiming for at least 150 minutes while recognizing that more movement brings greater gain.