How often should I workout?
Everyone knows that working out is important for your health, but how often should you actually be exercising? Some say 5-6 times per week, others say only 2-3 times per week. So let’s look at the different factors that go into your decision.
The first thing to look at is what you are trying to accomplish with your fitness goals. Are you looking to do more strength training, or cardio? Strength training requires you to give your muscle groups plenty of time to recover, while cardio needs consistency to maintain your endurance.
Once you’ve established what type, or mix, of exercise will make up the majority of your routine, then you need to look at your goals. Are you looking to lose weight, looking to increase strength, or are you wanting to maintain your fitness level? Determine what it is you want, and write it down.
Then you can start to create your routine. A general good rule of thumb is to workout 3-5 hours per week. You can split that up based on the things you’ve identified above, but also be sure to schedule at least one rest day per week. Your body needs time to recover.
Personally, I aim to workout 5-6 days per week, 60 minutes per workout. I do mainly strength training, Muay Thai and then add in some Box it Out classes. This is what works the best for me. Have some fun and play with your routine to see what your body responds best to. For example, I was also been running 2-3x per week for 3months leading up to the City to Bay – but now I’ve had a few niggles popping up so am looking to taper this running back to 1-2x per week going forward to give my muscles and joints more rest time, and find a better balance between cardio/strength training.
It’s best to start small, and work your way up. Don’t go from not working out at all, to starting a new routine working out 6 days a week and expect that to stick. You’ll burn out very quickly. Instead, start by making it out 3x per week for 60 min classes, and build from there when you feel you can.
It’s also SUPER important to do activities that you enjoy. Fitness should be fun! It should be enjoyable! And if it’s not, you clearly haven’t been to enough Box it Out classes..
So, what does your routine look like? Do you even have a routine? Let me know in the comments below what is working for you right now?
Deanna