Below, I have summarized the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding daily physical activity for children, adolescents, and adults.

Children (3–5 years): These kids should engage in physical activity throughout the day.

Children and Adolescents (6–17 years): They should aim for 60 minutes of aerobic and strengthening exercise daily. Research suggests this is about 12,000 steps, with at least 1 hour being moderate-to-vigorous intensity.

Adults: The target is 10,000 steps daily, equivalent to approximately 8 kilometers or 5 miles. Most adults in the United States only take 3,000–4,000 steps per day, which is about 1.5–2 miles.

Older Adults: They should aim for a similar step count to younger adults, but lower counts may still provide significant benefits. A large 2019 study in JAMA found that walking 4,400 steps daily was associated with a lower mortality rate compared to only 2,700 steps. The mortality rate continued to decrease with more steps, leveling off at around 7,500 steps. Therefore, a goal of 7,000–8,000 steps may be sufficient for significant benefits from walking in older adults.

Now, let’s look at the AAP Bright Futures Guidelines:

Physical Activity Guidelines for Infants, Children, and Adolescents:

Infancy (birth-11 months):

  • Infants should engage in daily physical activities with caregivers to explore movement and the environment.
  • Caregivers should provide settings encouraging movement experiences and active play several times a day.
  • Infants’ activities should promote movement skill development.
  • Supervised “tummy time” should be included daily while the infant is awake, as long as the infant enjoys it.

Early Childhood (1-4 years):

  • Toddlers aged 1-3 should have at least 60 minutes and up to several hours of unstructured physical activity daily, with no more than 60 minutes of sedentary time at once except during sleep.
  • Structured physical activity should be at least 30 minutes daily.
  • Opportunities should be provided for movement skill development.
  • Children aged 3-5 should have at least 60 minutes of unstructured physical activity daily, with no more than 60 minutes of sedentary time at once except during sleep.
  • Structured physical activity should be at least 60 minutes daily, with a focus on developing fundamental motor skills.

Middle Childhood, Adolescence, and Young Adulthood (5-21 years):

  • They should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, with most of it being moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.
  • Vigorous activity should be included at least 3 days per week, along with muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities.
  • Encourage participation in age-appropriate, enjoyable, and varied physical activities.

These guidelines emphasize the importance of physical activity across all ages, starting from infancy and continuing throughout life.