How Often Should I Exercise?

Do you want to stay in good health?

Do you have specific fitness goals?

Do you live a healthy lifestyle?

Do you sit a lot?

Do you take enough rest?

Have you tried additional supplements?

Exercising makes you fit and healthy. Experts recommend that you should do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and about 75 minutes of vigorous cardio each week. The good thing with exercise is that the more you do, the better it is for your health. But if you're unable to dedicate time for it, even small amounts can have reasonable health benefits for you. Also, aim to do strength training to all your major muscle groups at least about two times a week.

If you have specific fitness goals like running a marathon or losing a certain amount, you have to put in more effort. Though the nature and time duration of the workout would depend on your goals, there is no doubt that hard work is the key to your success and there's no health or fitness goal that can't be achieved with the right exercise and diet.

Exercise is only a part of a healthy lifestyle and there are other aspects to it such as a good night's sleep, nutritious food, rest, and low levels of stress. So, make sure you aim to get the other aspects also right besides exercise to have lasting physical and mental health effects.

Make it a point to get up once every few minutes and walk around to boost your metabolism. In general, when you sit for an extended time, you're more likely to get health issues, even if you moderate amounts of activity each day. So, get up and move once every few minutes and this can greatly improve your health.

If exercise is one side of the coin, rest is the other and both are required in adequate amounts for your body to perform well. If you exercise too much, your body tends to get worn out soon and it may even start impacting your bones and muscles. There's always a possibility of injuries if you tend to do too much exercise without taking enough rest. That's why ensure that you take good amounts of rest and have an exercise plan that includes rest days as well.

If you're supplementing your body's energy levels with an energy drink or a protein bar, you're probably adding more unwanted calories and effectively wiping out the calorie deficit you just earned! Most times, all that you need is water to hydrate your body after an intense exercise routine. Also, make sure you have a banana and a protein food in small quantities to help your body to recoup.

While supplements are not needed for moderate activity, if you're training for specific activities, talk to a doctor to check if you need any vitamin or protein supplement.