It’s one of the most commonly asked questions: How long should I work out for?
The answer? It really depends.
While it’d be nice and easy to claim that everyone should work out for 60 minutes per day to see maximum benefits, that’s just not true. There’s plenty of information floating around the Internet and social media suggesting that there’s an optimal workout time for everyone. However, your optimal workout and the time you spend doing it is highly dependent on your individual goals. For a bodybuilder or competitive athlete, the workout style and duration will be quite different than someone just looking to improve their heart health.
If, like many other health-conscious individuals, you’re wondering how long your workout should last, we’ve got some useful tips to help you figure that out.
Determine Your Current Fitness Level
One of the greatest considerations in determining workout duration is your current fitness level. You may be just starting out and need to lose a large amount of weight. Or, you may be in decent shape already and are simply looking to advance to the next level. You may even just be interested in improving your cardiovascular health. No matter where you are in your fitness journey, assessing your current state of health is critical.
Fitness Newbie?
For those new to fitness, giving your all right from the get-go is a surefire recipe for burnout and injuries. You want to allow your body to adapt to new training stimuli, which requires you to take it slow. A safe place to start might be training two to four days per week. This will allow enough time for your muscles to recover in between workouts to ensure that you don’t subject yourself to injury.
As far as duration goes, aim for about 20 to 40 minutes per workout. It might not seem like much, but the goal of fitness training isn’t necessarily about who can do the most. It’s more about finding the minimum effective dose to achieve results. When you approach training from that standpoint, you have a method of measuring progress.
When you start out slow, you can steadily increase training duration and intensity. If you start out training two hours per day right away, what do you do when you hit a plateau? Train for three hours? Better to start out slow and gradually work your way up.
Experienced Trainee?
If you’ve been training for a while, whether you’re an athlete or a gym rat, it’s safe to say your workouts should last a bit longer. Maybe you’re training for a competitive event, or simply looking to add a bit of muscle to your frame. Whatever your goal is, more experienced trainees can typically train for 60 to 90 minutes, four to five times per week.
Beware, though: eventually, you’ll reach the point of diminishing returns. When you’ve been training for a long time, your body adapts to the stress of training. Eventually, you’ll see slower gains in strength and Ωß mass, even when you spend the same amount of time training. When that happens, don’t think you have to add more and more time to your training sessions. What you do have to do is change up your routine. Unless you’re a professional athlete, you don’t need to train for several hours a day.
No matter what your fitness goals are, your biggest priority should be your safety. Be cautious when increasing your time spent training. This way, your body can adapt to the increased stimuli. If you jump in too quickly, you risk injuries that might put out of commission for a while. If your goal is improving your fitness level or physique, an injury is the last thing you want. Approach your training intelligently, and you’ll be well on your way to a healthier you.
Whether you’re a newbie or already have some experience, Titanz Fitness has trainers to help you meet your ultimate fitness goals. Located in Smyrna, our fitness center is equipped for all types of trainees. Contact us today to schedule a free personal fitness evaluation.
