How Much Should You Exercise?

It seems that, when it comes to exercise, most people really don’t know how much is enough without going overboard and doing too much. The Surgeon General has recommended that we each get 30 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis. Keep in mind that this recommendation is a bare minimum (in my opinion) and does not factor in any type of weight loss. Most people will only burn and additional 1000-1200 calories in the WHOLE WEEK at that rate. So if you’re trying to shed excess weight, you’ll need to bump it up from 30 minutes to 60. One solid hour of you and the gym every day….priceless.

Your hour of activity should include a 10 minute warm up to allow your body to get ready to work out. It needs time to get the blood flowing to all your muscles, to get the synovial fluid flowing in your joints and to let your body know what is about to happen. All of these things combined allow you to work out more safely. When you’re done warming up,  you’re ready to get to the fun stuff, the workout! You should include a 40 minute routine with either weights, cardio or a combination of the two. After you’ve completed your routine, make sure you take 10 minutes to stretch.   Most people overlook stretching, don’t be one of them!! Stretching is SO important, by stretching the muscle (making it longer) you begin to work out some of the lactic acid you built up from your workout (think of it like wringing out a wet rag). By drinking lots of water and stretching periodically throughout the day, you can actually help your body recover from a workout faster, which means you spend less time being sore. Ah-ha!

Some people have the mentality that if some is good, more is better. Not necessarily true. If you are just beginning an exercise routine, an hour is plenty. If you’ve been exercising consistently for 6 months or more, you could  up  your training time. Proper progression is very important, so don’t push to hard, too fast. Listen to your body, it will tell you everything you need to know. You don’t want to stress your body past what it can handle. excessive exercise  of high intensity will trigger your body to release cortisol (a stress hormone) which actually result in stored fat.