How often should we exercise?
I’ve seen various articles over the years with so many different ‘ideal’ hours of working out and in my opinion, doing a little bit of something every day is great; from a full gym workout, group class to simply going for a walk.
Whatever your go-to exercise is – you must be sensible with it. Here are my top 3 tips to getting the balance of physical wellness exactly right:
- Do not train the same every day, make it varied and change the intensity throughout the week. Mainly because if you do the same things each day it becomes boring and then you will avoid doing anything. Also sticking with the same forms of fitness each session does not improve your health because your body becomes complacent with the activity and then little progression occurs.
- You must enjoy it. If going for a run is as appealing to you as a dinner date with Donald Trump, then do not do it! Success comes from consistency, and if you enjoy your exercise then you are likely to stick with it for longer than a few weeks, it will then become habitual to your lifestyle. If you are a complete beginner it can be a good idea to try a variety of different styles of training first to find the things you enjoy the most.
- We should not punish ourselves with the exercise we do, therefore making sure it is within our capabilities even when challenging is a key factor that will also reduce the risk of injuring yourself in the process. Make sure you choose an activity that you have time for too. If you only have twenty minutes spare, then think of ways you can get the most out of that time with the styles of fitness available. For me, my ideal week of fitness will consist of intense cardio for 45 minutes twice a week. Then I will do 3 days of strength or conditioning training, focusing on different areas of my body each time; with mobility and stretching in the warm-up/cooldowns to get the most out of all the training and help my body recover. Plus, there is a daily dog walk in there because the dog must do what a dog needs to do!!!!!
Now that might sound like a lot to some of you and please do not use my level of exercise as a benchmark for yours. I have the benefit of teaching my online group classes five days a week which I take part in with clients and I work from a private fitness studio at my home; I have absolutely no reason to let life get in the way of my physical wellness. I appreciate that it is not as straightforward for other people.
What I have concluded is that there is no ideal! Any exercise is better than nothing but to really see some results in your physical wellness, get your heart pumping and muscles flexing at least three to five days per week for whatever time you have available that day. Just remember to be kind to yourself with whatever you do when you can do it.

Get started now with a FREE membership!
Take advantage of my free membership today. Tons of free content and downloads to help your wellness and fitness. Click here to out find more