How often should you work out?

An appropriate amount of physical activity can have numerous positive effects on your health.

Exercise, other than being able to help you lose weight, gain muscle mass, increase strength and endurance; can have a significant positive effect on your mental health, healthy sleep, concentration, lower blood pressure, lower risk of many chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some forms of cancer…)

In which way, and how often, should you exercise depends on the results you wish to achieve. Any amount of physical activity is a positive influence on general health, be it walking, cycling or doing more physical jobs around the house.

Aerobic exercises are considered endurance exercises, they require coordinated rhythmic repetitive muscle movement in a prolonged time. These exercises strengthen the heart and allow it to pump blood more efficiently, in doing so it betters blood flow and circulation, as well the lungs.

These exercises can include brisk walking, cycling, running, swimming, basketball, soccer, tennis… Research suggests that any form of increased aerobic physical activity can yield significant health benefits, but recommend at least 150 minutes a week of “moderate” aerobic activity, or 75 minutes of “intense” activity for the average person when it comes to basic health benefits. For more benefits like faster weight loss and keeping the weight off, 300 minutes a week is recommended.

Strengthening muscles and increasing muscle mass can have numerous health benefits as well, improved metabolism, better sleep, better mental health, injury prevention, blood sugar regulation, mobility and flexibility, bone health…

Strength exercises can be done using weights, machines, your own body weight or other tools. It isn’t necessary to exercise every day, and it can even increase injury risk. For most people, working out like this two to three times a week is enough. If you want to exercise more and better optimize your results, you can divide exercises by muscle groups, which can allow you to exercise even five times a week because you don’t activate the muscle group which is tired from the previous days. It is important not to overdo it and rest because of injury prevention and adequate muscle recovery, rest should last at least 48 hours when training one muscle group.

It is important to remember that a multitude of different factors effect physical activity like diet, time spent sitting and alike. It is generally good to aim at a more physically active lifestyle for better health, while specific fitness goals often depend on various factors that need to be worked on consistently and carefully.

*This text is intended for informational purposes only. If you experience any symptoms, it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.*

*Image taken from : https://unsplash.com/photos/group-of-people-in-gym-while-exercising-3RnkZpDqsEI*

Exercise and fitness. (n.d.). https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/phy_act.htm

How much activity do you need? (2024, June 17). NIH News in Health. https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2019/01/how-much-activity-do-you-need