How Many Days a Week to Exercise? Less May be More

by | May 5, 2013 | Health and Wellness

Having energy to play with children is absolutely exhilerating and keeps us young at heart.

Having energy to play with children is absolutely exhilerating and keeps us young at heart.

 

          If you’re talking about going to the gym or a focused exercise routine, it depends.

         If you go to the gym 6 days a week and feel pressed to fit that in, you may not be doing your body any favors.

            A recent study showed that those who exercise 4 days a week burned more calories overall than those who exercised almost every day.

            Why? Think about it. If you go to the gym and get a hard workout in, but feel pressed to do it, you may not have the energy to simply move and be active in your normal daily life.

            After working out, many people feel they can drive more, park closer, take a nap, and even eat more junk food. Whereas, those who exercise four days a week, with time to accomplish more on their to do list, may feel more energized, less stressed, and more active in general.

            Vigorous exercise in moderation should give you more energy to play with your children or grandchildren, garden, visit museums, take nature walks on a beautiful day. People who exercise moderately generally sleep better, handle stress better, and move more.

            I am all for wearing a pedometer with the goal of getting 10,000 steps a day. Four days a week take more vigorous walk and the rest of the week, move more. You can get steps in by dancing, parking your car far away from your destination, walking stairs instead of taking elevators, gardening, visiting the neighbor down the street, or whatever keeps you active.

            Adding a yoga class or group exercise class to your week, will not add steps but will increase flexibility and energy and are a great addition to your weekly activities.

            In the long run, what’s most important is to focus on movement and energy, adhering to a regular exercise schedule, and keeping activities motivating and fun.

 

 

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