Research
Adherence
Older adults (aged ≥65 years) should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week to achieve health benefits, improve functional abilities, and maintain independence.
Aim for 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity each week. You can break this into 10-minute bouts. Add muscle and bone strengthening exercises at least 2 days a week. If you have poor mobility, include balance activities to prevent falls. If you are currently inactive, start with less and build up gradually.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
To achieve health benefits and improve functional abilities, adults aged 65 years and older should accumulate at least 150 min of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 min or more.
Why this rating
Based on systematic reviews and a rigorous AGREE II-guided development process.
Source
New Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines
Mark S. Tremblay et al. · Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism · 2011
DOI 10.1139/h11-009
clinical_guidelineCited 1,242×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Children and youth (aged 5–17 years) should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily to achieve health benefits, including improved cholesterol, blood pressure, and bone density.Strong
- Adults (aged 18–64 years) should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week to achieve health benefits, including reduced risk of chronic disease and premature death.Strong
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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