← All cardio goals

Manage weight

Burn more energy across the week.

More minutes means more energy out. Build toward 250–300+ minutes a week, mixing easy volume with a couple of brisker sessions so you fit fitness in too — all kept enjoyable enough to sustain.

Your plan at a glance

250–300+ min

Most days active, with volume the main lever.

1–2 brisker days

A little intensity adds fitness and variety.

Keep the steps up

Daily movement is the quiet engine of energy balance.

Consistency wins

Steady weeks beat crash efforts that don't last.

Worth knowing

Cardio works best for weight alongside food habits — and being active protects your heart whatever the scale says.

How hard should it feel?

Your breath is the simplest intensity meter there is — no heart-rate strap required. Match the effort to the session: easy for warm-ups and recovery, moderate for most of your minutes, and short vigorous bursts when you want to boost fitness.

Easy Chatting feels completely comfortable Warm-ups, recovery, easy days
Moderate You can talk in sentences, but not sing The bread and butter of cardio
Vigorous You can only get a few words out Tempo efforts and pushing fitness
Hard Too breathless to talk — short bursts only The work portion of intervals

What a week looks like

Most days active — long easy sessions plus a brisker one or two, held steady over the weeks.

Your sample session

The dose above stays the same whichever way you move. Pick your activity and grab a ready-made session to match.

The most accessible cardio there is. Walk briskly for moderate effort; add hills or short fast bursts to push harder. Kind on the joints and easy to keep up.

See the walking session →

Can't do it all? Do a little.

Even short bouts count — three brisk 10-minute walks add up to the same as one 30-minute session. The biggest step is simply starting; build from there.