# Strength, balance and flexibility recommendations > Aim for muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week. If you're 65 or over, also aim for balance and strength activity on at least 3 days a week. Stretch about twice a week, and keep up aerobic activity and less sitting. Doing less than these amounts still helps. - Type: Guide - Topic: Evidence & Guidelines › Activity Guidelines - Reviewed by: Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod, Podiatrist (2026-10-21) - URL: https://twikka.com/learn/strength-balance-and-flexibility-recommendations - Updated: 2026-10-21 - **Strength on at least 2 days a week:** work all the major muscle groups. It's a minimum to aim for, and any strength activity is better than none. - **Balance if you're 65 or over:** varied activity that emphasises balance and strength, on at least 3 days a week, helps with everyday tasks and prevents falls. - **Stretch about twice a week** after a light warm-up, holding each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. - **The guidelines have four parts:** aerobic activity, strength, balance for older adults, and less sitting. ## How often should you do muscle-strengthening activity? Aim for muscle-strengthening activity at moderate or greater intensity on at least 2 days a week, working all the major muscle groups. This applies to adults of all ages, including those aged 65 and over [1][2]. The major muscle groups are your legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms [2]. Treat 2 days as a minimum to aim for: doing more is fine. Doing less isn't wasted. Any strength activity is better than none, so if 2 days feels like too much at first, start with what you can manage and build up [4]. Lifting weights or doing push-ups both count [3]. Strength exercises aren't always aerobic, so you do them as well as your weekly aerobic activity, not instead of it [2]. About 30–60 minutes a week of muscle-strengthening activity is linked with the biggest drop in the risk of early death, heart disease and cancer [5]. This is a link, not proof that strength work causes the drop. > **Try this:** Choose two days this week that suit you and do one strength activity on each, such as lifting weights or a few push-ups. Stop at a level that feels comfortable and add a little next week. ## How much balance and flexibility work is recommended? If you're 65 or over, aim for varied activity that emphasises balance and strength, at moderate or greater intensity, on at least 3 days a week. This helps you do everyday things and prevents falls. It's a minimum to aim for, and doing more is fine; doing less still helps. Balance and functional exercises reduce the rate of falls in older adults [6]. Programmes that include moving exercises done standing up tend to be the more effective ones [7]. Yoga or Tai Chi are options you can choose by preference to build flexibility, strength and balance [8]. How long each balance session should be isn't clear yet, so start with what you can manage and build up. For flexibility, stretch about twice a week, after warming up with light activity. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and don't bounce [9]. A common target is stretching each major muscle group, for a total of 60 seconds per exercise, on at least 2 days a week [10]. ## What are the parts of the activity guidelines? The guidelines have four parts that work together: - **Aerobic activity:** the WHO's target range is 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity a week, or an equivalent mix [6]. At least 150 or 75 minutes is the minimum to aim for, and going beyond it is fine. At moderate effort you can talk but not sing; at vigorous effort you can't say more than a few words without pausing for breath. - **Strength:** at least 2 days a week, as above. - **Balance:** for adults aged 65 and over, on at least 3 days a week, as above. - **Less sitting:** limit the time you spend sitting [6] and break up long spells with some activity [2]. Replacing sitting with activity of any intensity, including light activity, benefits your health. These are directions, not entry requirements. Start with small amounts and build up how often, how hard and how long you're active [6]. The people doing the least activity gain the most from even modest increases [11], and doing less than the targets still brings benefits [10]. If you live with a long-term condition (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, HIV or after cancer) or a disability, aim for the same amounts where you can. If you can't, any activity you're able to do brings benefits. ## When to check with a health professional If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. If you live with a long-term condition such as diabetes or osteoporosis, ask them to help you plan strength work that suits you. If you're at high risk of falling, a physio can help you choose safe balance exercises. Build up gradually. Problems from exercise are mostly minor and in the muscles and joints, and increasing slowly may lower the risk [12][10]. Exercise doesn't have to hurt to work, and soreness isn't needed for progress. Strength work and stretching shouldn't be painful. For a sore muscle or joint, stop or ease off, and see a doctor or other health professional if it persists or gets worse. Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe. ## Quick answers ### Do I need strength exercises as well as walking? Yes. Walking counts as aerobic activity, but strength work is a separate part of the guidelines. Muscle-strengthening exercises aren't always aerobic, so you do them in addition to your weekly aerobic activity. Aim for at least 2 days a week, using the big muscle groups, and start with an amount you can manage. ### What if I can only manage a few minutes at a time? Activity of any length counts towards your weekly amounts, and there's no minimum of 10 minutes at a time. A few minutes of movement or a short set of strength exercises adds up. Doing some is better than none, and you can build up how often and how long over time. ### Can I do strength exercises at home without equipment? Yes. Body-weight exercises such as push-ups and sit-ups count, as does carrying heavy shopping bags. Resistance bands and weights are options too. What matters is working the big muscle groups (legs, hips, back, stomach, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week. ## Sources 1. World Health Organization. Physical activity. https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/physical-activity 2. NHS. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64 3. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Top 10 Things to Know About the Second Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. https://odphp.health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-guidelines/current-guidelines/top-10-things-know 4. Currier BS et al. (2023). Resistance training prescription for muscle strength and hypertrophy in healthy adults: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106807 5. Momma H et al. (2022). Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061 6. Bull FC et al. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955 7. Howe TE et al. (2011). Exercise for improving balance in older people. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd004963.pub3 8. Zhang F et al. (2026). Clinical guidelines on physical activity and exercise therapy for Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes: A clinical practice guideline from the Chinese Society of Endocrinology. Journal of Sport and Health Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2026.101124 9. Healthdirect Australia (2016). Physical activity guidelines for older people. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/physical-activity-guidelines-for-older-adults 10. Garber CE et al. (2011). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318213fefb 11. Piercy KL et al. (2018). The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.14854 12. Sherrington C et al. (2019). Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30703272/ --- Source: Twikka (https://twikka.com/learn/strength-balance-and-flexibility-recommendations). General information about physical activity, not medical advice.