The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAGs) provide specialized recommendations for certain chronic conditions, including osteoarthritis. They outline the need for and benefit of aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises. They recommend obtaining at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity over the course of three to five days per week in sessions lasting 30 minutes to an hour. An alternative to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity is 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. However, this type of aerobic activity may be too intense or cause to much joint impact for individuals with osteoarthritis.
It is also recommended that individuals with osteoarthritis abide by the muscle strengthening aspect of the PAGs, doing activities that target all major muscle groups at least twice a week, with each session consisting of eight to 10 exercises and each exercise being done eight to 12 times.
Finally, range-of-motion exercises to improve flexibility and functionality should be done daily.