How Many Days a Week Should I Workout?

Hmmmmmm….. that is probably the 2nd most asked question I get as a trainer. The 1st is of course “how do I lose belly fat”, but that will be a different blog post. Although I don’t like it when people answer a question with “that depends”, that is in fact how I will start answering this question. I will break this answer down into categories based on type of person and/or goals to help clarify my answer.

  1. New to exercise- If you are brand new to an exercise routine, then I would honestly say start the habit by exercising everyday- even if some of those workouts only last 10 min. This will help establish a routine and a mental connection that allows you to see how good you feel after you move your body and brings awareness that your body deserves to be taken care of everyday. Our bodies were created to move! These workouts can be longer but devote at least 10 min a day to walking, weight training, yoga, other forms of cardio, etc…

  2. Weight Loss- Sometimes people will start off with a heavy cardio training schedule in hopes of losing weight quickly. While I admire the enthusiasm, I suggest that people start off with daily movement as we all should do (ex. walking), but 2-3 days of dedicated goal oriented workouts. This helps keep you moving forward but not overly focused to a point of burnout. IF after a few weeks you want to intensify and add more days to train then that is great. Overall point- Make your training sustainable so you reach your goal and not get burned out!

  3. Training for an event (race, competition, etc…)- Most likely if you fall into this category, you have been exercising for some time and want to take it to the next level. When I train for a race, I always plan my training from the event date backwards. See hoe many weeks you have and then set up your schedule. This obviously specific to your fitness and the event you are training for, but it is an overall good template to plan your workouts from. Depending on the event, you may be training 5-6 days a week of 1-2 hrs a day. The key to training this hard without injury is allowing your body to gradually adjust to an increase in workouts. Don’t go from not training at all to giving yourself 1 month to get ready for a 10k. Progress takes consistency.

  4. Goal of staying active as you age- I love this goal so much! Perhaps it is because I am seeing the need from a personal level, and also because I work with 40+ clients who also value longevity over a perfect 6 pack. I think the key to this goal is to STAY ACTIVE! There should be a progression of time spent exercising, proper use of weights and working on flexibility and mobility. This goal is a goal for a healthy life, and I would encourage people to be smart about their training, but set goals. Don’t limit yourself to what you think people your age should be doing. What do you want to do? What would it take to achieve that? It could take weeks, months or years, but being focused on a goal will keep you active. In this scenario I would advise moving your body everyday! You will come to crave that and the feeling that comes with it.

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The key to consistently working out? Follow the “quit after 10 rule”