How Much Exercise is Enough?
By Kirk Charles
Instagram: @KirkCharles * TikTok: @kirk.charles6 * Website: KirkCharles.com
How much exercise is enough? Before digging into that question, I always let my clients know the two most important objectives regarding exercise:
First, enjoy the process as much as possible. When you do what you enjoy, you’re much more motivated.
Second, exercise must relieve stress, not increase it. If you’re tense before exercising, you should be relieved after it. When those two objectives are met, your exercise regimen is easy to sustain, which is the key making progress!
How much heart and soul that is put into your exercise time and/or quantity depends on personality and physical ability. Some people are hyper engaged and move at a fast pace, which is fine provided form is not sacrificed. Others like to hit cruise control and take it slow and easy. Either way is fine, provided you’re satisfied with your progress.
There are three types of exercise that must be incorporated in your workout regimen: cardio, core and weight training. An extremely effective way to engage all three is implementing a 4-Day Rotation.
Day 1 one is cardio; day 2 is core training; day 3 is weight training; and day 4 is rest.
Cardio can be any exercise that gets your heart pumping (around 60% to 70% of max heart rate) for 30 to 45 minutes, such as running, walking, biking or hiking.
Core training would be mostly body-weight exercises, such as crunches, sit-ups, planks, squats or balance exercises, 30 to 45 minutes.
Weight training would be using dumbbells, barbells and weight machines to increase resistance, 30 to 45 minutes. If 30 to 45 minutes is not sustainable, shorten the timeframe to something more manageable.
Don’t feel ashamed if you can only sustain five minutes at a time. Many people who have not exercised in a long period—due to age, illness, injury, etc.—may find that five minutes is more than enough in the beginning. That’s fine and it’s nothing to be upset about. If that’s you, just be mindful that you’re starting on a new and exciting exercise program.
Stretching could be done each day, focusing primarily on the back, hamstrings and hips. Although the entire body needs stretching, those are the biggest problem areas with most people. A hint to incorporate more stretching into your day is to stretch in 2-to-5-minute increments throughout the day. If you’re in a static position all day when working, it is a great way to break up the day and invigorate yourself.
Be mindful that consistency, not intensity, with your exercise regimen will put you on the path to superior physical and mental fitness. It’s far more effective to consistently do a small amount each day than to cram everything into one or two days per week. Cramming too much in increases the odds of burnout and dejection as you find it almost impossible to achieve your goals.
Consistency in smaller chunks of time decreases the odds of injury, increases stamina, reduces stress on the body and builds positive momentum that can be sustained for a lifetime.
