When it comes to fitness, one of the most common questions is, “How long should I exercise to see results?” With busy schedules and countless exercise programs promising quick fixes, it’s important to understand what the science says about the ideal duration for exercise. Here is a brief guideline to help you determine how much time you should be dedicating to your workouts.
The minimum effective dose: 150 minutes a week
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. This translates to just 30 minutes a day, five days a week. If you prefer more vigorous activities, like running or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), the recommendation drops to 75 minutes per week.
Research supports these guidelines, showing that even this “minimum effective dose” of exercise can significantly reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that exercising for just 15 minutes a day could extend life expectancy by three years, proving that even short bouts of activity can make a difference.
Quality over quantity: The intensity factor
Advertisement
While the 150-minute rule is a great baseline, it’s not just about how long you exercise but how you do it. Research from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests that higher intensity workouts can provide similar, if not greater, benefits in less time. For instance, 20 minutes of HIIT can burn more calories and improve cardiovascular fitness more effectively than a 40-minute steady-state cardio session.
6 best evening workouts for weight loss, better sleep
The key is to find a balance between intensity and duration that works for your body and fitness level. A mix of moderate and vigorous activities can help you meet your goals without overloading your schedule.
Strength training
Cardio often gets the spotlight, but strength training is equally important. The AHA recommends incorporating muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week. These sessions don’t have to be long—even 20 to 30 minutes of resistance training can improve muscle mass, bone density, and metabolic health. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology highlighted that just 11 minutes of strength training three times a week could lead to significant improvements in muscle strength. So, whether you’re lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises, consistency is key to seeing results.
Advertisement
Power of short workouts: Do they really work?
For those with jam-packed schedules, short workouts—sometimes called micro-workouts—can be a game-changer. Recent studies, including one from the Journal of the American Heart Association, have shown that breaking up your exercise into shorter sessions throughout the day can be just as effective as longer workouts. For example, three 10-minute sessions spread across the day can provide the same cardiovascular benefits as one 30-minute session. These micro-workouts can be anything from brisk walks to quick strength circuits, making it easier to fit exercise into your day.
Listen to your body: Rest and recovery
While it’s tempting to push yourself to exercise more for faster results, rest and recovery are crucial components of a successful fitness routine. Overtraining can lead to injuries, burnout, and even diminish the benefits of your workouts. The ACSM emphasizes the importance of listening to your body and adding rest days to allow muscles to repair and grow stronger. Experts suggest varying your routine with different types of exercises to avoid overworking the same muscle groups. This approach not only reduces the risk of injury but also keeps your workouts fresh and engaging.
I’m not alone in feeling like my commitment to exercise ebbs and flows. I’m much more active in the summer—going on walks, hitting the gym regularly, and swimming on vacation. But in the cold, dark winter, I find it hard to get out and exercise. My TikTok For You Page has been overrun with Pilates recently, which made me wonder if it could help me stay consistent throughout winter.
I decided I wanted to find a 30-day Pilates challenge that I could do at home, so I settled on Move with Nicole’s November Pilates challenge. Nicole McPherson’s videos are all mat-based and the difficulty increases as the month progresses. I was drawn to the promise of improved posture and strength from low-impact exercise.
The 30-day Pilates challenge
25 MIN FULL BODY WORKOUT || Energising Mat Pilates – YouTube
If you have a set of light dumbbells (and the drive to focus in on intense work), all you need is a few minutes to blow up your biceps muscles. If you’re a busy dad with responsibilities, that’s especially important since those few minutes might be all you have. It pays to know how to make the most of them.
That efficiency is the driving principle behind Cory Gregory’s Dad Bod Shred workout program, now available for Men’s Health MVP Premium members. Gregory, a 46-year-old father of three, understands the sometimes unpredictable nature of parenthood—and how to design a fitness program that you can stick to even while you focus on your family’s needs.
GET THE WORKOUTS HERE
Gregory didn’t just create the format to this workout out of whole cloth; he based the series on a classic, brutal lifting protocol called German Volume Training. The bedrock of GVT is in the set structure: 10 sets of 10 reps. But Gregory adds a twist here to make the pump more economical—since you’d usually be taking on big compound movement with challenging loads, GVT requires you to rest between 60 to 90 seconds between exercise.
Advertisement
Here, you’re doing curls, an isolation exercise, with light weight. Since there’s less strain, Gregory wants you to cut the rest periods way down. You’ll break for only 10 seconds before you need to start the next set. You might find the first set or two fly by, but you’ll be hard-pressed to finish off your 10th one easily. You’ll finish 100 reps—and you’ll be shocked at just how fast you finish and how pumped your arms feel, too.
The Dad Bod Shred GVT With a Twist Biceps Blast
How to Do It: Grab a pair of light to moderate weight dumbbells (you should have no problem curling for reps). Perform 10 biceps curls. Rest for 10 seconds. Immediately proceed into a second set of 10 curls. Continue in this pattern until you have completed 10 sets of curls.
You can use this workout structure for any exercise, according to Gregory. Just make sure that you keep the load light so you can work with perfect form for all 10 sets, no matter what you’re doing.
Want more workouts like this to help you build the body you want, even when you have other responsibilities? Check out the entire Dad Bod Shred program by becoming an MH MVP Premium member.
BALANCING FATHERHOOD AND FITNESS has never been easy. You’ve got less time, less sleep, and less mental bandwidth. Most workouts just aren’t made for the daily grind dads face. Until now.
That’s because now you can follow the program that’s kept one of the fitness world’s most shredded trainers ripped while raising four kids. Meet Dad Bod Shred, your new go-to video workout program built just for busy dads by 46-year-old Cory Gregory.
Gregory is in the best shape of his life. And he’s gotten here by overcoming his own daddyhood challenges. Like plenty of dads, Gregory’s beaten injuries, battling back from a torn rotator cuff to bench press more than 300 pounds. He’s also learned to maximize his gym time, developing a system of muscle-building sessions that can have him in and out of the gym in less than 45 minutes.
He’s sharing those secrets with you in Dad Bod Shred, which includes five 30-minutemuscle-building workouts, one quick cardio session, and countless hacks that can help busy dads everywhere get jacked in less than an hour a day.
The program is available exclusively to Men’s Health MVP Premium members, so if you’re not already a member, sign up NOW!