Most of us have heard the number. Half an hour of exercise five days a week sits on health posters and in doctors' leaflets. Whether that is actually enough for the heart is a different question.
A new analysis of 17,088 UK adults found that real heart protection kicks in much higher up the dial. Between 560 and 610 minutes a week of moderate to vigorous activity was linked to more than 30 percent lower risk of a major cardiovascular event.
The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in May 2026. The composite outcome covered heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat.
At 150 minutes a week, the current guideline, the signal was far smaller. Risk fell by only 8 to 9 percent, across all fitness groups.
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What counts as moderate to vigorous activity
Moderate to vigorous activity is anything that lifts the heart rate and leaves you a little breathless. The researchers list brisk walking, cycling, hiking, swimming, running, uphill walking, fitness classes, and active commuting.
The 560 to 610 minute target works out to roughly 80 to 90 minutes a day. Only 12 percent of the people in the study actually hit it.
A middle target may be more realistic for most readers. Around 340 to 370 minutes a week, close to an hour a day, was linked to a 20 percent lower risk of the same cardiovascular events.
Why fitness level changes the number
People with lower cardiorespiratory fitness needed about 30 to 50 extra minutes a week to match the heart benefits seen in fitter adults. Fitness was measured with a short cycle test to estimate VO2 max, a marker of how well the body uses oxygen during exercise.
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Atrial fibrillation made up most of the cardiovascular events in the group, followed by heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
What the research can and cannot say
This was an observational cohort of adults with a median age of 57, followed for about eight years. People who move for nine hours a week also tend to be healthier in other ways. This kind of study cannot prove that exercise alone caused the lower risk.
The researchers also used a genetic method called Mendelian randomization to test causality. The link between higher fitness and lower heart failure risk held up. The signal for sheer exercise volume was weaker and less consistent.
In a BMJ Group briefing, the authors argue the 150 minute mark should be read as a safety floor and not as a target.
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They suggest future guidelines may need to separate the minimum level needed for basic protection from the much higher volumes needed for substantial heart risk reduction.
For readers starting from zero, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still points to 150 minutes a week of moderate activity as the entry point, with two days of muscle strengthening on top.
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This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.