If you’re new to exercise, and want something you can easily do at home, look no further than Pilates.

This low-impact practice is not only accessible for beginners but builds strength, mobility, posture and coordination, all without any equipment.

Exercise is good for you. Even in today’s social media-led world of differing opinions, I think most people can agree on that. But experts are often hit with the same question – how much exercise should I be doing?

As with the answer to most fitness questions, it depends. It depends on what your goals are, where your starting point is and your wider situation. However, I still think it’s an important question for the average person to ask.

Why? Because most people are incredibly busy, and fitting your fitness efforts into an already rammed weekly routine can be tricky. Knowing a ball-park figure to aim for, and some tricks for achieving it, can bridge the gap between someone doing no exercise and someone doing some exercise. And as you’ll find out, this can make a significant difference to your health.

So, I spoke with a cohort of industry-leading experts to determine how much exercise the average person should be doing each day for optimal health.

How much exercise should you do each day?

If I could have you take one thing away from this feature, it would be that movement in any form is usually worthwhile. It doesn’t matter if you can’t commit to a full hour in the gym or hit 10,000 steps a day, “every move counts towards better health”, according to the latest World Health Organisation guidelines on physical activity.

Small amounts of movement can have an impressive impact, whether that’s swapping escalators for stairs where possible or squeezing in a five-minute bodyweight workout wherever you can.

I would also suggest establishing weekly targets, rather than daily ones, as this provides more margin for error amid the unpredictability of life, and can better reflect your consistent behaviours over time. Now, over to the experts.

“Most evidence shows that even doing very small amounts of exercise or physical activity is beneficial for health, but more is better for us,” says Dr Richard Blagrove, a senior lecturer in physiology at Loughborough University.

“For example, even burning 500 kcal per week shows reductions in risk of mortality compared to being completely inactive – according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.”

“The same is true for resistance training. Doing only one set of lifting heavy a couple of times per week, to repetition failure, shows benefits to maximum strength that confer benefits to functional performance. But again, doing more than one set is more beneficial in a dose-response way.”

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Walking

A similar approach can be applied to walking, says Dr Elroy Aguiar, an assistant professor of exercise science in the University of Alabama’s department of kinesiology.

“The research suggests that the ideal combination for getting most benefits would be walking around 7,000 to 8,000 steps per day, in terms of volume, and part of that should include 20 to 30 minutes of walking at 100 to 130 steps per minute or faster,” he explains.

A study by the University of Granada concluded that, “if we focus on the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps [per day]”, while 8,000 steps would “significantly reduce the risk of premature death”. It found that faster walking has similar benefits too.

“But the new WHO messaging also says that all movement counts to some degree,” Dr Aguiar adds. “Accumulating little bursts of activity throughout the day just to elevate your heart rate and your metabolic rate a little bit – like walking a bit faster or further to your car – still counts in terms of exercise.”

A large meta-analysis published in the European journal of preventive cardiology concluded that there was a significant link between higher step counts and a lower risk of both all-cause mortality (any reason someone might die) and cardiovascular mortality (death due to diseases of the heart and blood vessels).

These benefits could be seen from daily step totals as low as 3,867 for all-cause mortality and 2,337 for cardiovascular mortality – a far cry from 10,000. Better yet, increasing your daily step total by 1,000 “correlated with a significant reduction of all-cause mortality of 15 per cent, and similarly, a 500-step increment correlated with a reduced risk of CV mortality of seven per cent”.

In plain terms: a little movement can do a lot of good. However, as a blanket rule, Dr Aguiar points to the WHO guidelines, which have also been adopted by the NHS.

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Physical activity guidelines

“Adults should aim to do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least two days a week,” the NHS website states.

“[They should] do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week, spreading exercise evenly over four to five days a week, or every day.”

The NHS also recommends minimising the time you spend sitting or lying down, and breaking up lengthy sedentary periods with a spot of activity. On the whole, these figures are a good benchmark and worth keeping top of mind.

Strength training

One area I haven’t addressed from these guidelines is strength training. The WHO guidelines highlight that doing this twice per week can yield impressive results and we now know due to recent studies that strength training can be especially beneficial for bone and muscle strength in midlife, as hormones start to change.

“The evidence suggests that lifting weights regularly – a couple of times per week – improves body composition, glucose homeostasis [linked to risk of type 2 diabetes], muscle mass, cognitive function, metabolic processes and mobility,” says Dr Blagrove.

If you’re thinking of committing to a couple of strength training sessions per week, leading strength coach Dan John recommends full-body workouts for the best results. And these can be as short as 10 minutes for beginners.

“The body is one piece,” he says. “For example, walking is not just for your feet or ankles or legs or butt. Walking does marvels for the spinal column. Walking does marvels for the eyes and the vestibular system. It’s a whole-body movement.”

He recommends focussing on “movements, not muscles” and including an element of pushing, pulling, hinging (at the hips), squatting and carrying in each week of your training.

As case studies, he shares two of his favourite quick kettlebell workouts, which cover most bases; the humane burpee and the SparHawk.

Or, if you want more flexibility in your exercise plans, you can combine his three favourite kettlebell exercises – the kettlebell swing, goblet squat and Turkish get-up, or press-up if this last option is too tricky – in any way you want.

“[In a workout, I think doing] 75 swings, 15 goblet squats and 15 press-ups [or 10 Turkish get-ups] circles that near perfect volume load for a new person who’s in some kind of shape,” John says.

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Cardiovascular exercise

“The only parameter of fitness that strength training tends not to change is cardiorespiratory function, which aerobic-based exercise is needed for,” says Dr Blagrove.

For those newer to fitness, walking will suffice here. But for anyone who has established a decent base level of cardiorespiratory fitness (the ability of the heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to the working muscles), slightly more intense activities like faster-paced running, swimming or cycling might be needed to see improvements in this area.

As for quantity, Dr Blagrove points to research published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. This suggests that “endurance performance can be maintained for up to 15 weeks when training frequency is reduced to as little as two sessions per week, or when exercise volume is reduced by a third to two-thirds (as low as 13-26 minutes per session), as long as exercise intensity (exercising heart rate) is maintained”.

In other words, a couple of short sessions each week should be enough to maintain many parameters of cardiorespiratory fitness for most people.

Summary

After speaking with experts at the top of their respective fields, there were clear takeaways. Fitness and longevity can seem like complex subjects and often, the sheer volume of data and advice can be off-putting for the average person. To avoid overcomplicating things, here are the key points you should be bearing in mind when it comes to your daily and weekly exercise.

“My main message is for people to simply pick a sport, exercise or physical activity they enjoy and can consistently adhere to long-term,” Dr Blagrove says.

“There isn’t an exercise type or modality that is ‘best’, or a volume threshold that people should be trying to achieve, like 10,000 steps per day. But doing a small amount of something active most days long-term is better than trying to do excessive amounts short-term then quitting because it feels like a chore.”

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Harry Potter star Ralph Fiennes has always been admired for his impressive acting skills, but the 62-year-old has now turned heads for an entirely different reason.

The Voldemort actor underwent a total body overhaul ahead of starring in a remake of The Return. His personal trainer Dan Avasilcai put the thespian through five months of training, two of which included a regime of weight training and running combined with a diet rich in protein, complex carbohydrates and vegetables.

Ralph’s trainer shared several photos of Ralph post-transformation on social media, with the actor’s makeover causing a furore among fans, with the star almost unrecognisable from his recent role as Cardinal Lawrence in the political thriller Conclave.

Keen to understand the level of work that goes into Ralph’s epic transformation, we spoke to personal trainer Jack Claxton, who works at David Lloyd Clubs, for his take on Ralph’s new physique.

Ralph Fiennes’ training regime

“The routine to get a physique like Ralph’s would be intense – but that’s what is needed for the consistency and discipline to get your body fat down considerably.”

Jack notes that the amount of work needed to get into Ralph’s shape depends on your starting point. “I would aim for four or five gym sessions a week, mixing strength and an athletic style of training,” Jack suggests.

“The strength training would consist of an upper and lower body split twice a week and a core/cardio type programme to hit the athletic side.”

Ralph’s recovery

Prioritising recovery is essential when working at this level, implores Jack. “Regular visits to a sauna and plunge pool, plus active recovery such as walks and swimming will ensure you don’t get injured and keep your mobility up.”

Strength training in your 60s 

In later life, our approach to fitness needs to be different. “In our sixties, we’re not just training for aesthetics, we’re training for longevity and independence,” says GymBox’s Ronni McKay. 

“My biggest tip is to skip generic plans. Work with a trainer who understands the unique needs of older adults and build something tailored. People think it’s about doing what you used to do – when it’s really not! It’s about doing what works now – safely and consistently.”

As Jack notes, at 62, a holistic approach to fitness is needed, and most of us won’t be able to plunge into fitness headfirst in Ralph’s way.

© Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2

“For a beginner, I’d take a gentler approach of two or three weight training sessions per week,” says Jack.

“For beginners, the exercises would be lower impact but still include resistance training. I would suggest sticking with machines and not overcomplicating the workout with free weights straight away.”

He notes that there should still be an element of cardio, adding: “It’s still important to include something that’s going to improve your VO2 max such as cardio training. To achieve progress, we would recommend an upper body resistance session, a lower body resistance session and a core and steady state cardio session.”

Ronni agrees with the importance of recovery, adding: “For a man in his 60s looking to follow suit, I’d recommend a smart, balanced routine that prioritises strength, mobility, and recovery. 

“There should be a focus on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses,” Ronni continues. “These exercises hit multiple muscle groups and build functional strength. Add in isolation work to support joint health and build shape. Daily mobility drills (even just five to 10 minutes) can make a huge difference in how you move and feel.

 Whether Ralph has kept up his intense regime, we’ll have to wait and see…