Sure, we all know we should exercise, but how much exercise does a person actually need? It depends on your weight, age, how much you eat, and a number of other factors. This informative guide from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can help you determine how much exercise you should get each day, and then it recommends activities that are virtually painless and even a little fun.

Once you get enough physical activity, it starts to burn off more calories than your body needs, resulting in weight loss. Though lowering the number of calories you consume is the best way to lose weight, exercising is the only way to maintain your goal weight, and it prevents things like heart disease and diabetes.

The best part about exercise is that it takes a lot to initially lose weight, but it becomes much easier to maintain your goal weight once you get there. For most people, a simple 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week is enough to ensure that you don’t gain weight from the foods you eat. Things like light yard work or brisk walking are considered moderate intensity, while swimming laps or jogging are great ways to get more vigorous intensity physical activity.

When you consult this helpful guide to see how many calories your favorite physical activities burn, managing your health becomes easier and more effective.

Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]

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