How much exercise do you need?
The amount of exercise you require primarily depends on your ability, goals and preferences, the equipment available, the injuries you may have had and how much spare time you have. Therefore, how much exercise do you need?
Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution, there are principles and guidelines you can follow. And apply it to your workout to ensure you have a balanced, effective, safe and enjoyable training session.
How many days a week should you exercise?
If you aren’t a fan of fitness, you’ll probably want to spend as little time in the gym as possible. Just enough to achieve the health and fitness goals you have set.
Training only once or twice a week will not give you more than a small improvement.
You should exercise at least three times a week if you want to achieve your health and fitness goals in a reasonable amount of time and stay in shape.
For how long should you exercise?
Some argue that you can have an effective training session within a half an hour, if you use the time wisely.
Experts say that if you want to make real progress, you need to work out for 45 minutes to an hour.
It’s recommended to spend 10 minutes on warming up and mobilization of your body, 30-40 minutes on weight training and five to 10 minutes to stretch and recover.
Can you do weightlifting for two or three consecutive days?
It’s recommended to take a day off between workouts if you are lifting weights. You can do two consecutive days, but try to avoid three consecutive days, unless you are very well trained.
If you don’t give your muscles time to rest, you will strain your joints and tendons leading to pain or injuries.
However, this won’t be an issue if you work out different muscle each time. Full body programs, however, are perfect for most people who want to lose fat and improve their fitness.
A well-balanced exercise program should include a mixture of weight training and cardiovascular (aerobic and anaerobic) training.
But if you don’t have time for both, focus on two to three weightlifting sessions a week.
Is sleep that important?
For everyone, and especially for people who exercise regularly, getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night on average is vital.
If you exercise during the day, the body strengthens, burns fat and repairs damaged muscle tissue during sleep.
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