Health Column
150 Minutes a Week: The Minimum Movement Your Body Needs
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults get 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, plus muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days a week. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) likewise recommends at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week and muscle-strengthening exercise 2–3 times a week.
The reality: only half
In the KDCA’s 2025 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 49.5% of adults in Korea met the recommended amount of aerobic physical activity. The WHO reported that in 2022, 31% of adults worldwide were not physically active enough.
Split it up
You can reach 150 minutes with 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Brisk walking, cycling and swimming count as moderate intensity: you breathe a little harder but can still hold a conversation.
- WHO, Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour (2020)
- KDCA, announcement of the 2025 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey results (30 September 2026)
- KDCA National Health Information Portal, “Obesity”