Exercise Guidelines for a Healthier You

How much do I need to exercise to see the benefits? I get this question all the time. In 2001 the American College of Sports Medicine came out with the guidelines of exercise. After extensive research (and I know because I have the five pound book to proof it.) they came up with 150 minutes a week of cardiovascular exercise.
This 150 minutes can be spread out in a way that fits your schedule, such as 30 minutes five times a week or an hour two times a week plus thirty minutes on a third day. You can even take the 30 minutes and spread it out, so you’re doing 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon. The goal is by the end of the week did you get in a total of 150 minutes?
If your workouts are at a higher intensity, then you will not need to do a full 150 minutes. The goal is calorie burn. You burn more calories working at a higher intensity then working at a moderate intensity. For instance, a 20 minute fast run working 84% or more of your max heart rate burns just as many or more calories than a 30 minute light jog at a moderate intensity (70-80% of max heart rate). Mixing it up is always a great idea. Maybe one day it’s a 30-40 minute moderate intensity workout and the next day you do a 20-30 minute higher intensity workout.
The recommendation for strength training is working each muscle group at least 2 times a week. For general benefits (if your goal is not body building) 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions will do the trick. Of course, you want to be sure to do the exercises correctly to not hurt yourself.  Working with an online trainer is very beneficial (wink wink) because all the exercises are on video to make sure you are doing them correctly. Be sure if your buddy is showing you exercises, they know what they’re doing. I always recommend working with a certified personal trainer at least a few times to make sure you understand good body mechanics to avoid hurting yourself.
Click here if you want more information. Please always remember, if you are starting any new exercise routine to get approval from your doctor first.  If you have any questions, please email me at lara@thegoodbodypt.com. Now go workout!