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How much do you need to exercise to build muscle?

Most adults aren’t regularly exercising to build and maintain muscle strength, even though the research on its benefits for health and longevity is overwhelming. But experts say there’s ample evidence that it doesn’t take much to get meaningful results. So, what’s the “minimum dose,” or the least you can get away with if you don’t have much time?

NPR’s Will Stone has been reporting on this for a new Life Kit newsletter series and brings us this report.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

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