You have started a regular program of exercise and want to know how much exercise is the right amount to reach your goals. Should I exercise two times a week, three times a week or more? The answer depends on your
goals.
Most exercisers fit into one of three main goal types. People typically exercise to avoid disease, improve fitness or improve performance. These three goals form a continuum of fitness. At the far left of the continuum is the avoidance of disease. Fitness lies in the middle and at the far right is performance. Performance relates mostly to athletes who want to
compete at a high level in sports. Many of these athletes train up to seven days a week, at high levels of intensity for two or more hours a day.
For the majority of people who are trying to stay healthy and in good shape, less time is needed to reap the benefits of an exercise program. For fitness training 3-4 days a week at a moderate or high intensity for 30-45 minutes will produce good
results. This equates to about 2-3 hours of total exercise time.
For anyone new to exercise or just trying to stay healthy or avoid disease, even less time is needed to attain the right amount of exercise. At this level, we can exercise at lower intensities and for less time and still achieve health benefits. You can do some form of activity at a low level, 5-7 days a week for about 30
minutes a day. This is great news for anyone who thinks that maintaining an exercise program has to be hard or will take too much time.
Once we meet the guidelines for avoiding disease, we can either maintain that level or challenge ourselves to meet the fitness or performance level goals. For someone interesting in being fit and healthy, train 3-5 times a week for 30-60
minutes at a moderate to high intensity. Your training should include strength training, conditioning and exercises to help you move better.
People who want to train for a sport or to perform better will exercise similarly to those in the fitness category. Their training may include specific movements or training to increase the sports performance or skill.
Start at the level that meets your needs today and work up to the level that suits the lifestyle you desire.
