Staying active is essential to staying healthy. And considering that 27 per cent of Britons do not exercise at least once a week, according to a 2020 YouGov survey, one might be tempted to raise their activity levels.
According to a report published by the British newspaper, The Independent, it is difficult to know how much exercise you should do to reach your fitness goals. Be it weight loss or weight gain.
“The type of exercise you end up doing depends on your ability, your goals, the equipment available, the injuries you sustain and the amount of time you have,” fitness trainer Tom Manns told the newspaper.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, there are principles and guidelines that you can follow and apply in training to ensure you have a balanced, effective, safe and enjoyable exercise regimen.
How many days a week should you train?
Unless you are a fitness enthusiast, you will probably want to spend as little time as possible in the gym to achieve your health and fitness goals. But Mannes says that training just once or twice a week will not give you more than a “low level” of fitness. “You should train at least 3 times a week if you want to achieve your health goals and maintain fitness in a reasonable amount of time,” he adds.
Training 4 or 5 times a week is ideal, but most people find that unattainable due to lack of time, so Mans says it’s best to aim for 3 times: “This exposes your body to a big enough training stimulus throughout the week, which enables the body to adapt. To be stronger, leaner and fitter.”
How long should your workouts be?
Some people say you can get an effective workout in half an hour if you use your time wisely, but Mannes believes that if you want to make real progress, you should work out for 45-60 minutes.
He recommends spending 10 minutes warming up, 30-40 minutes weight training, and 5-10 minutes stretching.
However, half-hour workouts can be beneficial for conditioning sessions or interval training.
Can you train with weights 2 or 3 days in a row?
Mannes recommends taking a rest day between sessions if you lift weights regularly. “You can train for 2 days in a row, but definitely try to avoid doing it 3 days in a row unless you are an advanced lifter,” he said.
If you don’t give your muscles time to recover, they will overload your joints and tendons, which can lead to inflammation.
However, it’s okay to train weights on consecutive days if you’re training different parts of your body each time. Manz believes that full-body workouts are best for the general public who nonetheless want to lose fat and improve their fitness.
A balanced exercise regimen should include a mix of weightlifting and cardiovascular (aerobic and anaerobic), but Mannes says if you don’t have time for both, focus on doing 2 or 3 weight sessions a week.
What is the importance of sleep?
“For everyone – especially people who train regularly – getting an average of 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night is critical,” says Manns.
“After exercising during the day, the body then grows stronger, burns fat and rebuilds damaged muscle tissue when you sleep,” he says.
So; If you don’t get enough sleep, you will put yourself at a disadvantage, and you will not have enough energy to train.
