Depending on your goals, there is more than 1 way to answer the question. Below are various thoughts on the subject.
Based upon a time frame of 75 – 150 minutes a week.
So how much is just enough? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has long recommended a weekly minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. And the longer you exercise, you will also gain even more benefits. At 6 to 8 weeks, you can notice some changes, and in 3 to 4 months, you can really improve your health and fitness. And interestingly enough, strength specific results are about the same time frame.
How can I get fit in 2 weeks at home?
6 Simple Rules to Live by to Get in Shape in 2 Weeks
- Exercise Daily. It is easy to make exercise a habit if it is a daily one.
- Duration (Length of Time) Doesn’t Substitute for Intensity.
- Acknowledge Your Limits. Start slow and build up.
- Eat Healthy, Not just food that appears to be healthy.
- Watch Out for Travel.
- Start Slow.
This Is What It Means to Be “Fit”
Research describes it as preserving, or not loosing endurance and strength.
There are 3 main fitness concepts that the research focused on:
- How often should you train
- The volume of your workouts – distance and repetitions
- How intense the training is
For Endurance: Exercise 2 Times Per Week
Endurance performance can be easily maintained up to 15 weeks as long as the workout intensity (exercising heart rate) is maintained.
- The workout frequency is reduced to as little as 2 sessions per week, or
- When exercise volume is reduced by 33-66% – as low as 13-26 minutes per session
For Your Muscles: Workout 1 or 2 Times Per Week – Depending on Your Age
- Younger people can get away with just 1 workout for strength, and 1 for intensity for up to 32 weeks.
- Older people may need 2 workouts for both – 4 total workouts.
Intensity it the key.
The 11 Minute Workout
11 minutes a day is all you need to become fit and stay fit – according to another study. it is based upon high intensity training in short bursts, then resting and repeating with a different exercise and repeating for 11 minutes.
- Warmup – Perform jumping jacks for one minute.
- Burpees – Perform burpees for one minute, though do not do the push-up portion of the burpee.
- Walk in Place – Walk in place for one minute. Yes, that’s it.
- High Knees – Perform high knees in place for one minute by raising each knee up to your chest as fast as you can (while remaining standing with your back straight).
- Walk in Place – Walk in place for one minute.
- Split Squat Jumps – Perform split squat jumps for one minute. For this exercise, get into a lunge position, then jump up high in the air to switch your legs. Keep jumping and alternating your legs for the full 60 seconds.
- Walk in Place – Walk in place for one minute.
- High Knees – Perform high knees in place again for one minute.
- Walk in Place – Walk in place for one minute.
- Squat Jumps – Perform squat jumps for a minute. For this exercise, you’ll do a standard squat, but as you rise, explode and jump into the air as high as you can, with both hands held high.
- Cool Down / Walk in Place – Walk in place for one minute.
A Walking Only Option
7,500 steps is the minimum number associated with a reducing health issues and increasing cardio. At least 3,000 of those steps should be done at a moderately intense pace. You could easily walk at a very fast pace, then slow down for a cool off period, and repeat again.
Adding a small amount of running or other forms of exercise, these will provide additional benefits.