HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE WORKING OUT TO SEE RESULTS?
With so many factors that come into play, such as weight, age, and health it’s hard to put a general rule on the amount of physical activity we should each be getting during any given day/week.
Studies have shown that what was perceived to be the standard recommended amount of physical activity just isn’t cutting it. As Americans waistline lengthen…so does the amount of time we should be working out. The National standard for physical activity has been upped as the obesity rates continue to climb.
So how do you find your way through the sea of information and misinformation? First key is knowing what your desired results are. Someone who is just looking to maintain general health and weight will have a much different plan than someone who is looking to loose weight.
Also keeping in mind that the term “Physical Activity” is broad and includes things like a brisk walk, swimming, or riding a bike. With that said we should be active everyday, for general health…but lets get real, we all want to see RESULTS. That is where we have to up the ante from “Physical Activity” to “Moderately Intense or High Intensity.”
Below you will find WebMD’s guidelines for recommended Physical Activity.
“Thirty minutes of physical activity is across the board to all adults, every day of the week,” says Pate, who is a professor at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. “There is enormous scientific information to support this.”
Meeting the 30-minute threshold will help a person maintain a healthy weight and reap health benefits like lowering the risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and hypertension, according to the guidelines.
From there, the amount of physical activity a person needs climbs, depending on his weight status.
In 2002, the Institute of Medicine upped the ante by saying Americans needed to accumulate even more physical activity if they wanted to effectively control weight.
The 2005 guidelines put all this together and refined the information, says Bryant, basically saying you want to strive to get in as much physical activity as you can on most days: 30 minutes a day if you’re a person of normal body weight and you just want the health benefits of being physically active, 60 minutes if you want to control your weight, and 90 minutes if you want to lose and sustain.
I know what you’re thinking, where will I find the time for all of this? Well, first off…you will never “Find” the time, you have to MAKE it! With that said there is loop hole for those who are short on time. Raise your intensity and lower your time!! Read below for LiveStrong’s explanations of intensity/time modifications.
If your goal is to lose weight, you need to either increase the intensity of your cardio or do 300 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio each week. Keep in mind that 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardio is equivalent to 300 minutes of moderately intense cardio. So if you are short on time, make your cardio the high-intensity variety.
KNOW YOUR INTENSITY
Moderate-intensity exercise will cause your heart rate to pick up and have you breathing heavier. The “talk test” is one way to determine what your level of workout intensity is, according to Len Kravitz writing for the University of New Mexico. When you are working out at a moderate intensity, you should be able to carry on a conversation but be unable to sing a song. If you are unable to carry on a conversation, you are working out at a vigorous intensity.
Now that we know the facts, how can you easily translate what you need into your schedule to “See Results.” For time management take 2-3 “High Intensity,” such as our cardio dance class PlyoJam, then on your off days make healthy choices like taking the stairs or walking instead of driving.
In summary everybody and every body is not the same; but we should all be moving our bodies everyday for at lease 30 mins, and if you’re short on time or looking to see results make sure to work in at least 2-3 High Intensity workouts per week.