How Much Exercise Should You Do Each Week to Live Longer?

Between juggling demanding work schedules and managing household duties, finding the time to exercise can be tough. But new research might actually take some of the pressure off. As it turns out, the amount of time you spend working out might matter less than how you structure your routine when it comes to living a longer, healthier life.

How Little Exercise Can You Get Away with and Still Boost Longevity?

The study, published in April 2026 in the Journals of Gerontology, relied on earlier results from the landmark U.S. POINTER study in 2025, which examined how altering daily habits (such as physical activity, diet, and social behaviors) affects cognitive function in older adults who have an increased risk of cognitive decline. This 2026 study is a secondary analysis of the U.S. POINTER study and examines aging and frailty. Frailty refers to weakness and a reduced ability to heal from injury.

The trial included more than 2,111 adults ages 60 to 79, who were split into two groups. Over a two-year period, one group followed their usual exercise routine—the “self-guided” group—and the other followed a structured exercise routine—the “structured” group.

The structured exercise group completed aerobic training four days per week for 30 to 35 minutes per session, resistance training two days per week for 15 to 20 minutes per session, and flexibility training two days per week for ten to 15 minutes per session. That totals three to three-and-a-half hours of exercise each week.

After the two-year period, participants in the structured group showed a greater reduction in a frailty index, a measure researchers use as a proxy for biological aging. In other words, reduced frailty suggests slower aging. The participants in the structured group also showed better cognitive function than those in the self-guided group who followed their own routine.

There are a few limitations of the study that are worth noting. Participants knew which group they were in, which could skew their perception of the exercise’s benefits. Additionally, participants of the U.S. POINTER trial “may not adequately represent” the rest of the population, the study authors wrote. Moreover, while the exercise component alone offers well-established health benefits, the study participants also followed the MIND diet (a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which aims to manage blood pressure), engaged in cognitive and social activities, and received cardiovascular health monitoring. The full benefits observed in the trial likely reflect this combined approach. Lastly, it can’t be definitively said that the structured exercise program directly slows aging, only that there’s a correlation between structured exercise and slowed aging.

Why Do Short Bursts of Exercise Slow Aging?

“The goals of the structured intervention target a number of behavioral domains that have been linked to better cognitive function,” says Mark A. Espeland, the lead author of the study and a professor of gerontology, geriatrics, and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Each component of the structured exercise program treats a different threat to longevity, adds Richard G. Stefanacci, an osteopathic medicine doctor and medical director of Inspira Health’s Living Independently for Elders (LIFE) Program, which helps older adults live better as they age and remain independent in their own homes.

“Aging isn’t one switch you flip—[the issue is] deficits accumulating across many systems. This [structured exercise program] attacks several simultaneously,” Stefanacci says.

Here’s how, according to Stefanacci:

• Aerobic exercise supports brain and heart health by improving cardiovascular fitness, reducing inflammation, and maintaining healthy blood flow to these organs.
• Resistance training prevents sarcopenia, a condition where you lose muscle mass and strength as you age. This can turn a fall into something more serious, like a bone fracture.
• Flexibility training makes everyday movements—like reaching and bending—easier.

There’s a big benefit to these small exercise chunks. Following the structured exercise program totals about three hours of exercise per week. “The reason the doses matter is that they’re sustainable—they’re enough to provoke adaptation but not so much that you quit,” Stefanacci says. “The most effective exercise prescription is the one a 75-year-old will still be filling at 85.”

What This Means for You

For anyone who loves spending time outside (hello, that’s you), you can follow this structured exercise program anywhere—not just at home or at the gym. Take weights into your backyard for a strength session, go for a run, walk, or bike ride on your local trails, or use the bench at your nearby park to stretch. Plus, exercising in nature can improve mental health, according to research in Extreme Physiology and Medicine.

Espeland says adopting healthy lifestyles still “has important benefits in preserving cognitive function and slowing the rate of aging.”

About the medical reviewer: Ingrid Yang, MD, is a physician and longevity specialist. She is board-certified in internal medicine and helps patients build healthier habits to live better, longer.

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