Milestones in evolution of physical activity guidelines
| Date | Example organisation(s) or countries | Focus | Targets | Selected features |
| 1970s | American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), American Heart Association 56 57 | Increase fitness via exercise, minimise risk of adverse events | 20 min, 3+times/week | Balance of endurance and muscle strength |
| Mid-1990s | Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/ACSM, US Surgeon General58 59 | Accumulate moderate-intensity PA to reduce non-communicable diseases (NCDs) | 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic most days of week | Minimal focus on muscle-strengthening |
| Early 2000s | US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), WHO, Canada, Australia, other high-income countries (HICs)5 16 17 60 | Accumulate moderate-intensity PA to reduce NCDs and improve quality of life (QoL) | 150–300 min/week moderate-intensity or equivalent aerobic, muscle-strengthening 2+times/week | Increased focus on progress below target levels. ‘Some is better than none’. |
| 2018–2020 | US HHS, WHO, other HICs11 21 | Accumulate moderate-intensity PA and reduce sedentary behaviour to reduce NCDs and improve QoL | 150–300 min/week moderate-intensity or equivalent aerobic, muscle-strengthening 2+times/week | Increased emphasis on reducing sedentary behaviour; remove bout criterion |