How Much Exercise Do You Need?
How Much Exercise Do You Need?
You have probably wondered…How much is enough?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, because like everything in fitness it depends!
I want to start off by saying that focusing only on the quantity of your workouts and ignoring the quality is not the best way of looking at it. Just like how we are always telling you guys not to focus only on your bodyweight number on the scale but seeing your body, workouts, and lifestyle as a whole. I think everyone can agree that it makes more sense to spend less time working out efficiently than to spend a whole lot of time doing nothing. So instead of talking in terms of hours of minutes, we are going to talk about number of sessions per week.
According to the CDC (center for disease control and prevention) Adults need at least 2.5 hours of light aerobic activity OR 1 hour 15 mins of vigorous activity, AND 2 sessions of strength training hitting all major muscle groups per week.
Unfortunately I don’t think MOST adults in our society get even that much.
Since it does depend on so many factors, here’s a kind of a break down of what we here at Live Lean TV recommend based on your current lifestyle.
For a complete beginner.. someone who has gone their whole life with little to no physical exercise at all and has a sedentary job requiring many hours per day seated. We recommend starting off with daily walks, these can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as you wish. What’s important, esp. if you work in a sedentary position is to incorporate more movement and standing throughout the day.
Try not to sit in a chair for more than 1-2 hours at a time. Get up and stretch, pace back and forth while you’re on the phone, get up to get some herbal tea or water a few times per day, take breaks to get fresh air. If you tend to forget or not pay attention how much time is going by you can use a kitchen timer or your phone timer to buzz after each hour of sitting time to remind you to get up and move. It also may benefit you to start riding a bike to work if it’s close enough, or re-arrange your work station, elevating your computer up to a standing level.
For someone who is intermediate, meaning somewhat athletic already, this can be anywhere from 3 workouts per week up to 8-10 workouts per week.
I personally believe for the general population, 10 sessions per week of intense exercise is the upper limit, but of course the focus is never on the time, but really more on the quality and intensity of each session. I just know for me personally, if I spend more than 10 hours per week at the gym I start to feel like I live there and it loses it’s appeal. You want to keep your exercise to a moderate amount not just for your body but for you mind as well, because anything you over-consume eventually becomes dull and unappealing.
I’ve found over the years that about 5-8 sessions of strength training sessions and/or lower intensity walks/hikes is the right amount for me to stay interested and enjoy the results.
For very advanced athletes with big goals- there really is no upper limit UNLESS signs of over-training start to appear.
These are things like excessive soreness/fatigue, lethargy, sore joints, losing desire to exercise, loss of appetite, insomnia, and more. If you notice any of these signs or symptoms of overtraining then take a few days of recovery to allow your nervous system to relax.
If you are still confused by all of this and want help figuring out what’s right for YOU and your situation, contact us for Custom Coaching. We can write you a personalized plan with the right guidelines for your current shape and goals.
Also check out our Team site, TeamLiveLean.com and all of our other programs here in our Shop page.
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