Each answer is correct. Just choose the exercise plan that works for you! You'll lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, anxiety, depression, and Alzheimer’s. You’re also on track to sleep better, think more clearly, and have a better quality of life.

These numbers are the MINIMUM recommendations, but the health benefits keep increasing as your exercise does — so keep adding extra movement to your life as you can!

If you aren’t meeting these guidelines, here’s some good news: you’ll achieve the biggest gain in health benefits when you go from being inactive to being active 60 minutes a week. Just get started!

Nearly 80 percent of American adults aren't meeting these guidelines. On a national scale, this lack of physical activity is linked to about 10 percent of premature death (dying early) and diminished quality of life for countless people and their families.

A good strength training program will hit every major muscle group throughout the week. As a bonus, strength training will make your bones stronger, too!

To build strength, you can lift weights, use resistance bands, or use body weight for resistance. The federal guidelines don't list a specific amount of time to work each muscle group, but you should perform repetitions until it is quite challenging to do another.

Adults 65 and up should also do balance-building exercises twice a week. These can be part of your strength training plan, or can be a separate activity (such as tai chi).

Even 5 minutes of physical activity can have real benefits for your health. If you can’t achieve the recommended guidelines, do what you can. Start with 5 to 15 minutes of walking, several times per day, most days of the week, and slowly increase speed, time, and/or frequency from there.

You may have heard people talk about reaching “10,000 steps per day.” Although this goal is widely accepted, it isn't based on scientific research--instead, it was made up by a marketing team selling pedometers in Japan in the 1960s.

Recent research shows that for those 60 and older, 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day will lower your risk of premature death. If you're younger than 60 you need about 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day to achieve the same benefit.

Some chronic conditions cause fatigue or pain, making it feel challenging to start an exercise routine. But once you get started, exercise can lower pain and improve symptoms, functioning, and quality of life for people with most chronic conditions. Some doctors consider exercise a "super drug."

Regular exercise also reduces your risk of getting additional diseases that would complicate your health further.

If you have a chronic health condition, work with your doctor to figure out the right exercise plan for you.

People who sit a lot (also called "being sedentary") have an increased risk of cancer, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and early death from all causes.

Reducing your time sitting and increasing your moderate-to-vigorous activity even a little bit will improve your health. Try these during a busy day:

• Stand up, stretch, or walk around every half hour
• Stand or walk while talking on the phone
• Meet for a walk instead of meeting for coffee or a drink
• Add one extra physical task to each day: vacuum your floors, water your garden, pull some weeds
  
• Take a short walk after lunch or dinner
  

A single moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise session will improve your sleep quality and blood pressure and lower any short-term anxiety that you might be feeling that day.

When you exercise regularly, you’ll probably achieve:

• Deeper sleep
• Better balance and coordination
• Better memory, attention, executive functioning, and processing speed
• A reduced risk of dementia and depression
• Less anxiety and stress in every day circumstances and in your overall personality.

It turns out exercise isn’t just good for your heart. It’s good for your brain and emotional health.

And these long-term benefits start within days after you begin consistently being active.