Modern guidelines state that normal weight adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on four or more days of the week. Adults focused on weight loss need 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise four or more days per week. The same 60 minute requirement applies to all children, regardless of their weight. However, in all cases, the required activity time can be divided into two or three parts in different times of the day.

Commonly referred to as the Consensus Public Health Recommendation, these guidelines are supported by the U.S. Surgeon General, USDA, Dept. of Health and Human Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health, and American College of Sports Medicine.

Having said that, do not be discouraged by the amount of activity required. You can work up to the 30 or 60 minutes if you have been sedentary, pregnant, ill, injured or are significantly overweight. Furthermore, being active is not an all-or-nothing proposition. We need to simply accept the occasional lapse and just get back on track.