We all workout based on our goals and what we enjoy doing. However, many of us don’t know how long the ideal to workout is. Some may work out to get the aesthetics that we are looking for. Others may enjoy certain cardio exercises because of the mental health benefits. Maybe you do that yoga class a few times a week to forget about the crazy school assignments you have coming up. But, is there a minimum or best amount of time to work out.
Well, it depends on the goal that you are going for.
Health-Related Fitness
Consisting of prevention of disease to a treatment plan or just wanting to feel better, health-related fitness usually consists of moderate intensity exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week. This is what the physical activity guidelines suggest that are produced by CSEP and Participation. For health-related fitness, these 30 minutes can be broken up into 10 or 15 minutes bouts if you are finding that you are tight for time or you find it difficult, for whatever reason, to work out for 30 minutes straight. However, it is ideal that you eventually workout up to 30-minute bouts and that these workout times eventually become longer or higher intensity as your health improves.
Aesthetics-Related Fitness
This category mainly focuses on hypertrophy or the growth of your muscle fibers. This requires a higher intensity but also for a longer period of total time per week. However, this category focuses on resistance training and nutrition more than general exercise. You need to stress each muscle group at least twice a week but you also need to consider providing the body with the much-needed rest that you will need. The key here is that we are aiming for fat loss, not weight loss. Cardio training will help you but if that is all you do, you may not see the changes you want. Resistance training will help you maintain the muscle mass you have and increase it while you are in a calorie deficit stage. The workouts in this category can range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more depending on how you are splitting the workouts, the time commitment you are able to put into it, and your current fitness level. Novice exercisers will need longer rest times between sets and may need more rest days throughout the week before the body gets accustomed to the new exercise regime.
Where should you start?
Start with what you can. The important thing to remember that is intensity is relative to the individual. The higher the intensity, the shorter the workouts are going to be and the more rest you may need afterward as well. If you are first starting to exercise, try a 45-minute workout 3-5 days a week. If it is too much, start with 30 minutes; if you think you could do more, add time or add another day of the week. If you are already working out multiple days per week but are not seeing the results that you want, look at your rest periods and the intensity you are working at.
The other important thing is to remember to enjoy what you are doing! Whether it is in the gym, on the pitch, with friends, or alone, being active and healthy should be fun and have meaning.
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