The short version
National and international guidelines name types of activity (aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and balance for older adults), not a single best exercise. Some activity is better than none, and bouts of any length count.
Step research suggests the benefit levels off around 6,000–8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and older and 8,000–10,000 for younger adults. The 10,000-step goal was never evidence-based.
Muscle-strengthening activity is linked to lower risk of death and chronic disease, with the biggest gains at about 30–60 minutes a week.
The "best" exercise is the one a client enjoys enough to keep doing. Coaches help clients choose it; they don't prescribe it.
What the guidelines actually say
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2018), open with a message worth repeating to clients: move more and sit less, because some physical activity is better than none. For substantial benefit, adults are advised to do 150–300 minutes a week of moderate activity or 75–150 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle-strengthening activity for all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week. Older adults are advised to add balance training as part of multicomponent activity.
Two details are often missed. First, the old rule that activity only counted in bouts of at least 10 minutes is gone; bouts of any length count. Second, muscle strengthening is broader than lifting weights. The guidelines list resistance bands, body-weight exercises, carrying heavy loads, and heavy gardening (HHS, 2018).
For adults with chronic conditions or disabilities, the guidelines apply "who are able." When people cannot meet them, the advice is to be regularly active according to their abilities and avoid inactivity. The World Health Organization's 2020 guidelines reach the same ranges, add specific recommendations for people living with chronic conditions or disability, and repeat that some activity is better than none (Bull et al., 2020).
Notice what neither document does: name a best exercise. They describe kinds of activity and amounts, and leave the choice to the person.
Steps and strength
Steps. Paluch and colleagues (2022) pooled data from 15 cohorts with 47,471 adults. Risk of death fell as daily steps rose, then leveled off around 6,000–8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and older and around 8,000–10,000 for younger adults. The authors note that the popular 10,000-step goal had little evidence behind it. These are observational findings, so they show links rather than cause.
Strength. Momma and colleagues (2022) reviewed 16 cohort studies. Muscle-strengthening activity was linked to a 10–17% lower risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. The largest benefit appeared at roughly 30–60 minutes a week, and the pattern was J-shaped, so more was not clearly better beyond that range. Again, this is observational evidence.
What's coming. HHS is developing a 2027 supplement to the guidelines on step counts and muscle-strengthening activity. Its notice says public comments are open through 11:59 p.m. ET on November 12, 2026, in docket HHS-OASH-2026-0463 on regulations.gov, and asks for comments backed by peer-reviewed research (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], 2026). Coaches with relevant evidence can comment.
Why "best" means the one they keep doing
Two lines of research explain why preference matters as much as physiology.
Rhodes and Kates (2015) reviewed 24 studies and found that feeling better during moderate exercise was linked to more physical activity later. How people felt after exercise was not. A plan that feels miserable while doing it is a weak plan, however efficient it looks on paper.
Teixeira and colleagues (2012) reviewed 66 studies through the lens of self-determination theory. More autonomous motivation went with more exercise. Valuing the benefits of exercise (identified motivation) predicted getting started, while enjoying the activity for its own sake (intrinsic motivation) predicted sticking with it long term. Feeling competent also predicted participation.
That points coaches away from "burn more calories" framing and toward enjoyment, competence, and the client's own reasons.
Using it with clients
Start with their history. Ask what movement they have enjoyed at any point in life, including play, dance, gardening, or walking with a friend.
Share guidelines as information, with permission. The federal guidelines are information from a nationally recognized authority. Present them as a menu of types and amounts, not a prescription.
Ask about feelings during activity. Because affect during exercise predicts what people keep doing, invite the client to notice how an activity feels while they are doing it and to adjust it themselves.
Build competence. Help the client choose a starting point they are confident about, then plan for obstacles.
Keep the frame on function and enjoyment. Energy, mood, sleep, strength for daily tasks, and time with people they care about are all valid reasons.
Example lines: - "What kinds of movement have you enjoyed, even a little, at any point in your life?" - "Would it help if I shared what the national guidelines say, so you can decide what fits?" - "How did that walk feel while you were doing it, not just afterward?" - "On a scale of 0 to 10, how confident are you that you'll do that this week?"
Where coaching stops
Coaches don't prescribe exercise: no specific type, intensity, or dose for a client's condition. The guidelines advise that adults with chronic conditions or symptoms be under the care of a health care provider, and that they consult a health care professional or physical activity specialist about the types and amounts of activity right for them (HHS, 2018). Refer to the client's physician before they start or change activity if they have a chronic condition, a disability that affects movement, pregnancy, or symptoms such as chest pain or pressure, dizziness, or joint pain. A physical therapist or qualified exercise professional can design a program; the coach supports the client in following the plan they choose.
Go deeper
The Sleep, Stress, and Movement package, which covers the physical activity evidence in depth, is in development. The topic also fits the Healthy Aging and Independence package, also in development.
References
Bull, F. C., Al-Ansari, S. S., Biddle, S., Borodulin, K., Buman, M. P., Cardon, G., Carty, C., Chaput, J.-P., Chastin, S., Chou, R., Dempsey, P. C., DiPietro, L., Ekelund, U., Firth, J., Friedenreich, C. M., Garcia, L., Gichu, M., Jago, R., Katzmarzyk, P. T., … Willumsen, J. F. (2020). World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 54(24), 1451–1462. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102955
Momma, H., Kawakami, R., Honda, T., & Sawada, S. S. (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, 56(13), 755–763. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2026, October 9). HHS seeks public comments on step counts and muscle-strengthening physical activity. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://odphp.health.gov/news/202610/hhs-seeks-public-comments-step-counts-and-muscle-strengthening-physical-activity
Paluch, A. E., Bajpai, S., Bassett, D. R., Carnethon, M. R., Ekelund, U., Evenson, K. R., Galuska, D. A., Jefferis, B. J., Kraus, W. E., Lee, I.-M., Matthews, C. E., Omura, J. D., Patel, A. V., Pieper, C. F., Rees-Punia, E., Dallmeier, D., Klenk, J., Whincup, P. H., Dooley, E. E., … Fulton, J. E. (2022). Daily steps and all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health, 7(3), e219–e228. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
Rhodes, R. E., & Kates, A. (2015). Can the affective response to exercise predict future motives and physical activity behavior? A systematic review of published evidence. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 49(5), 715–731. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9704-5
Teixeira, P. J., Carraça, E. V., Markland, D., Silva, M. N., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9, 78. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-9-78
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). Physical activity guidelines for Americans (2nd ed.). https://odphp.health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
