Scientists Provide Minimum Exercise Recommendations by Angela Mohan on April 15, 2021 at 3:34 PM Young adults must increase their exercise patterns to down their chances of developing high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, as well as dementia in later life. Present recommendations denote that adults should have a minimum of two-and-a-half hours of moderate intensity exercise each week, but a new study led by UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals reveals that increasing exercise to five hours per week may protect against hypertension in midlife - particularly if it is sustained in one's thirties, forties and fifties. In the study publishing in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 5,000 adults ages 18 to 30 for 30 years were studies. The participants were asked about their exercise patterns, medical history, smoking status and alcohol use. Blood pressure and weight were monitored, together with cholesterol and triglycerides.