Why just two hours of exercise a week can be life-changing

01/07/2025 Many people struggle to do the recommended amount of exercise each week. But research suggests even a small amount has powerful effects. There's no question that exercise is good for the heart. Regular exercise lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and reduces the chances of having a heart attack or stroke. But sometimes it can be hard to find the time (and motivation) to exercise. So, what's the least amount of exercise you can get away with doing while still seeing these benefits? That answer depends on how fit you are to begin with. Here's some good news: the lower your starting point is in terms of fitness, the less you have to do to see a benefit. So, if you're someone who's completely sedentary, then only a small amount of exercise is needed to see a reduction in cardiac risk. From a starting point of virtually zero exercise, an hour or two a week of leisurely cycling or brisk walking might be all you need to reduce your risk of death from cardiovascular disease by as much as 20%. But as you get fitter and increase the amount you exercise, the cardiovascular health gains diminish and eventually plateau. This is sometimes referred to as a J-shaped curve. A sedentary person who goes from doing nothing to exercising a couple of hours a week will see the greatest reductions in cardiovascular risk during this period. If they increase the amount they exercise to four hours a week, there would be additional – albeit smaller – reductions in risk (around 10%). But the benefits to cardiovascular health appear to max out after four to six hours a week – with no additional gains beyond this point for everyone. However, one study in which sedentary people were trained to complete an endurance event, such as a marathon, found that once participants reached seven to nine hours a week of training, they saw noticeable changes in their heart's structure.