This Is Exactly How Many Days a Week You Should Be Working Out
Staying active—along with maintaining a balanced diet—is one of the best ways to boost longevity. Whether you want to focus on weight loss or boost longevity, you may wonder, “How many days a week should I work out?”
Many factors affect recommended exercise frequency, including the reason why you’re working out, your existing health, and even the type of workouts you’re doing. But, when it comes to a general recommendation, the pros all have the same advice: Doing something is better than doing nothing.
Meet the experts: Bradley Serwer M.D., FACC, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, and chief medical officer at VitalSolution; Ronny Garcia, a certified personal trainer with Blink Fitness; Jerome Draculan, a personal trainer with a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certification
But before you get started, talk to your doctor about what’s best for your individual situation. “The first step is to meet with your primary care providers to ensure that you are healthy enough for exercise,” says Bradley Serwer M.D., FACC, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, and chief medical officer at VitalSolution.
Once you have that info, bookmark these expert suggestions when it comes time to hit the gym, the weights, or even the treadmill.
Recommended physical activity guidelines
As Dr. Serwer said, when it comes to beginning an exercise regimen, you’ll need to make sure you check with your physician. Speak with your doctor about what your particular goals are, and then find out what they recommend for you based on your current health. “They may direct you to physical therapy or occupational therapy if you have specific physical limitations,” he says.
“Ultimately the most important thing is that you set a health goal and accomplish that goal in [the] safest manner,” Dr. Serwer continues, noting that while running long distances might have significant cardiovascular benefits, the wear and tear might be too much (or even impossible) for some people to do.
Instead, he says that the key to getting started with a routine is taking things one day at a time.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), that means getting at least 150 minutes of activity each week. That’s something that Ronny Garcia, a certified personal trainer with Blink Fitness says that you can accomplish in a variety of ways, including walking, running, or cycling, between three to five days a week.
Cardiovascular exercise
When looking for something that will really get your heart pumping for those 150 minutes a week, Jerome Draculan, a personal trainer with a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certification says cardiovascular workouts (a.k.a.: cardio) are a great place to start. He calls these “your heart’s favorite workout buddy,” saying that they can boost endurance and help you burn calories, all while making it easier for you to enjoy other physical aspects of your life without having to worry about whether or not you can keep up.
Draculan says that for the best results, you should mix up your cardio routine. “Try steady-state cardio one day (like jogging or cycling) and intervals the next (sprints or running after your toddler),” he suggests, noting that you should aim for three to five days a week of activity.
Just remember to have rest and recovery days as well, adds Garcia. “This will reduce your risk of injury and burnout,” he says.
Strength training
Recent research found that strength training could add years to your life. So, it’s about so much more than looking good, it’s about feeling strong as well. He says that when done correctly, these types of workouts—which are typically done with weights or other resistance tools like bands or machines—help build muscle and improve metabolism.
For general health, Draculan says you should lift weights two to three days a week. However, if building muscle is your goal, you’ll want to ramp that up to four to five days a week, with “targeted splits”—switching between an upper body workout and a lower body workout—built into your schedule.
Garcia says that “progressive overload” is key for building muscle, and that you’ll want to continually challenge your muscles so they continue to grow. “Workouts should range from 45 to 75 minutes and focus on compound exercises,” he says, which he says involve utilizing more than one muscle group at a time. “Lastly, be sure you get enough rest time and eat enough protein to maintain muscle growth.”
“Pro Tip: Focus on compound moves like squats, deadlifts, and presses—they give the most bang for your workout buck,” according to Draculan.
HIIT
High-intensity interval training is a quick way to improve cardiovascular fitness, according to Draculan. But, that’s not the only reason he’s a fan of this workout, since he says that the “high-intensity” nature means you’ll get to take longer breaks between workout sessions.
As such, Draculan says you’ll only need to do these workouts—which can include exercises that don’t involve extra equipment, like mountain climbers, or those that do, like kettlebell swings—two to three times a week. That being said, he does note that you can do more “if you’re a glutton for punishment,” as long as you remember not to skip that all-important recovery period.
How many days a week should I work out for various goals?
If you want to adjust your workout routine because you have specific goals in mind, then you’ll want to be mindful that some of those milestones may have different requirements when it comes to frequency and duration.
Overall health
If improving your health and well-being is your top priority, then Draculan says that three to five days a week will do the trick. To see a difference, he suggests doing a mix of different types of workouts here, including two to three days of cardio—“Think brisk walks, jogs, or chasing a rogue shopping cart”—and then two days of strength training like yoga.
Weight loss
Those who want to see the number on the scale drop may need to hit the proverbial gym a little more frequently, according to Draculan, who suggests a five to six-day stretch of exercises.
Three to four days of cardio and then two to three days of strength training should do the trick, according to Draculan, who says you’ll also need one day of “active rest,” which he describes as light yoga, walking, or a leisurely activity like paddleboarding.
Building muscle
Draculan says that you’ll need to plan for four to six days of exercising if you want to build muscle. That should include three to five days of strength training and one to two days of active recovery or light cardio.
Just remember to keep your heart health top of mind when you’re starting (or increasing) your workout routine. “Take your time, start slow, and build gradually,” Dr. Sewer says. “Overuse injuries are common and can derail your health goals early in the process.”
Above all, if something doesn’t feel right, stop. Call your healthcare provider, and discuss what you’re feeling and whether or not the type of workout you’ve been trying is right for you.
You Might Also Like
