This BBC article does not really answer the question: Exercise, yes but how much? And it is true that there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all for exercise. It is my experience however that what really matters is to create the habit of regular exercise whatever happens. Good weather, bad weather, good mood, bad mood.
Of course it is easier in Northern California where I live and where the weather is close to perfect than in other parts of the world 
. It seems that the best possible investment in terms of health is to spend an hour a day of serious physical activity. Yes, I know it looks like a lot. But don't most of us lose at least an hour a day in useless activities like watching TV, small talk or others? Besides exercise is the best stress management tools I have ever found.
After a hard working day running, biking or swimming an hour is the ideal way to recoup. Without forcing, any of these three activities is the time to relax and stimulate both side of the brain. That's usually when I find the solution to problems I have been working on the whole day without success. And the list of other benefits of physical activity is endless:
1- Aerobic Exercise
Relaxes tension
Elevates mood
Increases confidence
Builds mental stamina
Releases endorphin, the safest natural mood altering drug
Increases the number of red blood cell by up to 40%, bringing more oxygen to the brain
Allows clear thinking
Increases creativity by synchronizing the right and left hemispheres of the brain
Improves respiratory efficiency (up to double)
Provides more glucose to nerve and muscle cells without the bad side effects of Stress
Increases the feeling of pleasure
Burns calories during exercise
Burns calories after exercise, even during sleep, by increasing the body metabolism
Allows eating delicious food without guilt
Strengthen the cardiovascular system
Optimizes the immune system
Improves longevity
Improves quality of life
Makes heart work more efficiently
Burns fat, reducing triglycerides
Improves brain circulation and functioning
Makes look better, healthier and younger
Improves quality of sleep, better than tranquilizers
Improves endurance and stamina by increasing the amount of glycogen stored in muscles
Corrects calcium loss, which can prevent osteoporosis
Increases bone density, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis
Improves the ability to deliver nutrients throughout the body
Reduces risk of heart attack, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain cancers
Reduces fatigue
Improves regulation of blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of adult-onset diabetes
Improves the ratio of HDL (the good cholesterol) to LDL (the bad one), reducing the risk of atherosclerosis
Improves functioning of mitochondria, the cell's energy production plant (pumping out ATP)
2- Muscular Strength Training
Improves functional strength
Improves performance
Improves flexibility
Improves muscular endurance
Increases muscle mass
Increases self discipline
Increases self-confidence
Avoids muscle atrophy
Builds a better looking figure
Improves health
Makes you feel better
Burns calories stored as fat
Increases the level of human growth
hormone (HGH), also called youth hormone
Helps maintain healthy tissues at any age
3- Flexibility Training
Allows to move joints through their full range of motion
Stretching keeps the body working to its full original capacity while aging
Makes activities of daily life easier
Reduces the risk of pain in the joins
Gives the pleasant feeling of staying young
Increases self confidence
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