Working out is one of the fastest ways to boost your stamina, stay in shape and be active. It’s good for weight loss can increase metabolism, and has been shown to delay the early onset of conditions like arthritis. In short, it can increase a person’s overall well-being.
With the various benefits of working out, the main question that plagues many people is how often they should work out.
The answer is simple!
People work out for different reasons. Some do it to stay in shape, some to promote restful sleep, and others to promote stamina. How often you should work out depends on the goals you plan to achieve.
This article will discuss how often you should work out for some of the most common goals.
Weight Loss
One of the main reasons people work out is to lose weight. To lose weight, a person must burn more calories than they eat and not eat more calories than they burn. They can achieve this by eating less, trying out more physical activities, and increasing their muscle mass to burn calories while resting. This process works well because being active burns calories.
According to some research, exercise alone may not be the most effective method for weight loss. However, the effect becomes better when you consolidate it with a calorie-controlled diet, according to the American Heart Association.
Cardiovascular and Strength Training
According to the American Heart Association, the recommended durations for cardiovascular training are 75 minutes when you’re doing vigorous activities and 150 minutes when the activities are moderate. Moderate-intensity activities include dancing, tennis, gardening, and water aerobics, while vigorous activities include running, swimming, and jumping rope. You can also engage in vigorous and moderate activities if you like.
One way to gain muscle mass is through strength training. Gaining muscle can boost your metabolism and aid in your weight loss efforts.
The American Heart Association suggests doing two days per week of moderate to high-intensity training. Some examples of strength training are lifting weights and using resistance bands for muscle building.
Full Body Workouts
These don’t just target a body part. They are great for every body part, including your abs, biceps, hips, chest, shoulders, thighs, and lower and upper back muscles.
You can engage in a full-body workout by using free weights, your body weight, weights attached to machines, or some combination of these methods.
Some workouts that target the major muscle groups, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), are:
a. Exercises that focus on the chest include the seated chest press, wide-arm push-ups, and the supine bench press.
b. Lat pulldowns and pull-ups that strengthen the back muscles.
c. Triceps curls with a barbell or a cable machine.
d. Exercises for the quadriceps such as squats, lunges, and other lunge variations.
