HOW LONG SHOULD MY WORKOUTS BE? QUANTITY VS QUALITY

“Any activity is better than nothing and what's most important is making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.”

This is a very common question and a bit of a loaded one too, but we’ll keep it short and precise for you today!

In general and for a good point of reference, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the CDC recommends a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 min on three days per week.

If you’re just starting out with a fitness program or you’re trying to get back into the swing of things, those numbers can be a little daunting, so instead of getting hung up on a certain time frame, we encourage people to think about these two things instead:

1.  Quality &

2. Consistency 

Let’s talk about QUALITY - most people would think longer is always better, but in fact, it’s really about what you’re putting into the workout that counts! Joe for example, does 60 minute workouts 3x/week, but drags his feet through it each time and is barely in tune with what he’s doing...and then there’s SUZY, who does 20 minutes 5x per week but she’s ALL in, meaning she’s focused, gets the heart rate up, works up a little sweat and then calls it a day. Who do you think is getting the most out of their workouts? Well…most likely, Suzy! We’re not saying Joe doesn’t benefit at all from his sleepy workouts, but all we’re trying to say is whatever you put into whatever time frame you have, is exactly what you’ll get out of it! So is longer always better? Not necessarily. 

And then there’s CONSISTENCY- this is a word we speak of a lot around here! It doesn’t matter how long or short each workout is if you’re only doing it once per week, what matters is being consistent. In order to continuously reap the benefits from exercise, it needs to be done on a regular and frequent basis. Blood pressure for example, can be reduced after a single bout of exercise for up to 24 hours (amazing!). So if your blood pressure is considered to be on the higher side or even just borderline high, then you’ll want to exercise frequently to help keep that blood pressure down.

Moral of the story? If you can't fit in one longer workout, or your stamina isn’t quite there yet, try a few five-minute walks instead, and be consistent! Don’t forget, what's most important is making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle and turning movement into a habit you just can’t live without ✌️