Starting a new workout routine comes with a lot of questions, from, ‘What exercises should I include?’ to ‘How much weight should I lift?’ and, crucially, ‘How often should I work out?’ Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in beginners’ enthusiasm and work out too often, too hard, leaving yourself burnt out physically or mentally. But, even for the most experienced fitness fanatic, it can be tricky to get the balance between rest and working out just right. Today, I want to take a closer look at how to build a balanced workout schedule.
Find out how often you should be hitting the gym, pounding the pavement, or firing up your favourite workout video, below.
Start with a Basic Formula
The often-repeated advice for people who want to remain fit and active is to fit in 30 minutes of activity, 5 times a week. And although it’s a bit generic, it’s a great place to start for beginners. Walking is a good first step on the road to building regular fitness habits, but any type of movement that gets your heart rate up is a great way to get motivated. Once you build these initial healthy habits, it’s much easier to develop a more personalised routine.
Balance Strength and Cardio
Fitness fads come and go, and it’s easy to get sucked into thinking that one type of workout is better than another. The truth is, building a balanced workout that stretches you in different ways is important. Cardiovascular activity is crucial for building stamina and heart health, while strength training helps to build muscles, tone your body, and improve posture and bone density. A good ratio to start with is two to three days of strength training a week vs a couple of days of cardio, leaving two days of rest.
Get Your Rest Days
Rest is SO important in a balanced workout schedule. It’s the time when you actively repair and build muscle – rest is crucial to you getting stronger, faster, and fitter. However, some active rest can also help to keep your flow going. gentle activities like walking and swimming could also be part of your rest time. It’s important to not treat rest days as days where anything goes. Try to stay focused on nutrition and hydration, you need to give your body the right fuel to rebuild.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to your workout routine. Your schedule will depend on your fitness goals, baseline level of fitness, and your current work and life commitments. However, it’s really important to sit down and figure out a programme that makes sense for you or to reach out for advice from a fitness professional. If you’re looking for a little guidance on your routine, we can help. Our friendly gang of fitness experts are here to help you create your own unique workout programme that delivers realistic and sustainable results. Why not get in touch and find out more about the training we offer? Until next week, stay amazing.
