Less than you'd think for weight loss, more than you'd think for muscle. Here's the actual schedule.
Cardio: 150 minutes/week
Walking briskly, cycling, swimming. Distributed as 30 minutes, 5 days a week. The minimum that has consistent metabolic benefit.
Strength: 3 sessions/week
30–45 minutes each. Compound movements: squats, deadlifts, presses, pulls. This is the non-negotiable part — it's what protects your muscle mass during weight loss.
Daily steps
Aim for 8,000+. Sedentary 6 days + 1 gym session is a worse outcome than active 7 days + 3 short workouts.
