How much exercise is TOO MUCH exercise?
As personal trainers, we are all about exercise and helping as many teenagers and adults fall in love with it too.
But, just like everything else, there needs to be balance and moderation.
How much physical activity does an adult need?
According to the NHS, an adult should aim to be active every day and aim to do 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (or 150 minutes of moderate exercise) every week.
In simple terms, adults should make sure to move daily (steps, gentle bicycle ride and even cleaning and cooking count!) and include a workout routine in their week.
In terms of workouts, 3-5 workouts a week are ideal. They really don’t need to be longer than 30-60 minutes per session.
If you use a treadmill or exercise bike, or even weights, you can try a circuit-style workout. This is fantastic for cutting down your workout time, and getting your heart and muscles pumping! Check these out for some inspiration:
Full body stability ball workout
Full body accumulator with only one kettlebell
(Make sure to follow us on Instagram for a brand new workout each Thursday!
This is exactly the style we use for our aceTRANSFORM and aceRESET programmes. When you join aceTRANSFORM, we’ll provide you with 3 new 30-minute workouts every 4 weeks. You get to lift weights alongside us thanks to our videos and the workouts are specifically designed to see your strength, cardio and fitness improve over the course of 8 or 12 weeks. You can also top up with a couple of cardio sessions, like a short HIIT burst or a longer, slower-paced run or bike ride.
If you join aceRESET instead, you’ll have access to 5 20-minute workouts to complete over the course of 10 days. Yes, they are only 20 minutes long but they are very effective!! We know you are extremely busy and we want to show you that you can make time for your health and fitness despite this.
We could be setting higher expectations and there certainly are people that can handle more than this, but we also want you to allow yourself and your body time to properly rest and recover.
So what are some red flags that tell you you are overdoing it?
- You’re constantly tired: this shows in all aspects of life. You are not focused at work, you aren’t able to play with your children as much, and when not training you spend most of your time sitting or lying on the couch.
- Your usual weights and workouts feel too tough: Your gym performance will take a hit too. This can indicate that your body and muscles are extremely fatigued.
- Your relationships might suffer: as exhaustion takes its toll, your head touches the pillow, you quickly drift off, potentially too fatigued to engage intimately with your partner.
- Your obsession with exercise is putting your social life on the sideline: being overall healthy means taking care of your social life too. Saying no too often to things you know you’d enjoy for the sake of following your workout plan can mean you are developing an unhealthy relationship with it.
While it’s important to keep muscles and mind strong (mostly as we age), it’s also important to remember that our bodies NEED rest too.
For muscles to grow, they need to be ripped… quite literally! Challenging your muscles with heavier weights and different exercises means that small tears form into them. These are then repaired with adequate rest and sufficient protein intake, and as a result they grow and stay strong.
Without sufficient rest, your body can’t catch and will start failing you in different ways.
If you are looking for a personal trainer or more guidance, please make sure to reach out to us at info@ace-lifestyle.com!
