How Often Should You Exercise?
How Often Should You Exercise?
How to make sure you get results from your exercise.
By Marco Augusto
If you're just starting your fitness journey, or you've been doing it for a while, you might be wondering how often you should exercise.
It's a good question, because the assumption by many people is that more exercise equals more results.
This makes sense on the face of it.
We're often told that we need to burn more calories than we consume to lose weight.
So obviously exercising more will lead to more calories burned.
But like anything, too much can be an issue.
Many people take this idea too far.
They do intense exercise all the time, pushing and pushing harder.
And this works at the start, but most people can't maintain it, and if they are able to do so longer than the average, they still end up fatigued, or worst injured.
The result is no exercise at all for a period of time, leading to more frustration and lack of results.
Before working out how often you should exercise, it's good to get an idea of what is classed as exercise.
For many people, exercise is only going to the gym or training facility.
But this is just one of many types of exercise we can do.
My thought however is that exercise is any movement we set aside time for.
So it can include something as simple as walking the dog or playing with kids.
I even add to that category, setting aside time for stretching and active recovery, which can help us with our training and our day to day lives.
Each of those examples doesn't seem at all like it would burn many calories.
But what people need isn't burst of energy burning once a week for 8 weeks before losing interest, but more consistency.
Day in, day out, doing something small and simple.
When it comes to intense exercise, I believe most people should aim for a little lower.
For example, heavy weightlifting sessions, something men and women, young and old should do, should be done at least once a week, with a maximum of 4 times a week for most people being sufficient.
In term of high intensity interval training, that would be even less; once or twice a week maximum.
Yet something as simple as a 30 minute walk could be done everyday without too much worry.
And so when we talk about exercise, I believe that people should do some form of exercise everyday, even if it's low intensity.
As the intensity increases, the frequency should drop.
Yes, have those few sessions of weightlifting, or martial arts, or high intensity interval training (or anything intense) as part of your exercise routine each week.
The key however, is to set aside time specifically to move, even if it's just 15-30 minutes a day.
It's better to do the simplest, most achievable habit, over and over again, then it is to exercise now and then.
Until next time,
Marco
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