How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?

For the last month and a half, I have been working out too much. I thought that the more I exercise, the faster I would lose weight. I would get up at 5:15 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to take boot camp classes, and on Tuesday and Thursday I worked out with a trainer at the gym at 9 am. All of this took a heavy toll on my body.

We Are Not On ‘The Biggest Loser’ Show!

Although it wasn’t hard to get up so early in the morning and work out, I felt exhausted towards the middle of the day. I wasn’t able to focus. At first, I didn’t notice how I was hurting myself. My sleeping schedule was not regular since some of the days were at 5 am. I couldn’t eat that early in the morning, so I would go on to gym class without a bite of food.

One day, when I came to my trainer for my session, I was barely there. I was exhausted. He said I have to stop going to morning classes. First, because I was hurting myself more than helping; second, because we do the same workouts at the session as I do in class; and third, because I was too tired to focus on anything. I was not even losing weight or getting in better shape. I quit my morning classes.

• I started getting up at the same time every day: 6:30 am.
• I changed my training sessions to 7:30 am.
• I went into the gym to use the pool and sauna and to do cardio on the days I didn’t have training sessions, but always at the same time.

I have noticed I am feeling better, more awake and rested, and I started to lose weight.

So How Much Should You Be Working Out?

I would say it depends on the person and their history of workout out. While some people can work out for ninety minutes, others should only do thirty minutes.

Exercise is an essential part of the health equation and thirty minutes per day is where it begins. Every adult should exercise at least thirty minutes a day, every day. According to the health department, this daily exercising helps to lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis.

When a person is deciding how much to exercise beyond thirty minutes, they should take into consideration their weight and fitness history. When you miss a day, you shouldn’t try to pack more into your next workout to make up for it. You may overwhelm yourself and never want to exercise again! Do some exercises at the end of the day and get back to your routine the next day. Don’t forget to get enough sleep.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity. You also can do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week.