Question - Longer VS Multiple Short Workouts?

ashypashy7

Hello MFP!

Basically, I started my health journey in Nov after I was cleared from my OB (c section). I started in just over 300 lbs, mostly just eating less, working out 1-3 times a week for 30-60 minutes. Either walking outside, or using Leslie Sansone videos.

I'm now 240lbs and I feel a vast improvement in how I feel. I use a fitbit flex (not the best for Leslie videos) and I try to hit 10k steps daily. Now I'm a STH mum, my daily movement isn't much still maybe 2k steps without doing anything else. Leslie is still the bulk of my workouts. Now to hit 10k steps with her I need to work out for 140 minutes a day. (Less if the weather is nice and baby is cooperative).

This leads me to my question. Is it better to do the whole 140 minutes at once? Or is it still effective if I'm doing it broken up? I normally try to get up before the baby and do 30-60 minutes there. Twice during the day I try to do a couple 20 minute work outs and then before bed do the rest however much that is. Some days (when SO is off) I can do it all at once, but normally it's just me and the baby all day and she won't let me out of her sight much longer than 20 minute breaks.

I do do strength training twice a week and am sitting at a 2 lb week loss for now which I am happy about. I assume so long as I'm moving and see the scale going down that what I'm doing is okay. I'm just wondering if longer is better than lots of short work outs?

jaga13

First off, congrats on the baby! (and the c section recovery--been there, twice!).

I think it doesn't matter, as long as you get in the movement. What you're doing now sounds great. I break up my exercise throughout the day: 20-25 minutes in the morning before work (that's the time I have after husband takes the kids to school, before I have to get in the shower). Since it's a small amount of time, I try to make it intense (running or lifting weights).

I also try to get in about 2000-3000 steps throughout the early morning (pacing, marching in place while packing lunches)...I can get in a lot of steps while getting my kids ready.

Then throughout the work day I take a walking break for a few minutes every hour, and walk during my lunch break.

After work/dinner, I play with my kids and try to fit in more steps. Some days I do yoga after they go to bed.

Most days I total about 70 minutes of exercise throughout the day.

scubasuenc

Congrats on doing so well. You can break your workouts into pieces or do them all at once. It is all good as long as you are moving and burning calories.

If you are happy with your current calorie goal and weight loss, there isn't any reason to change anything.

streamgirl

I agree. Just move. If you are feeling good and happy with your progress, you are doing great. If you get bored, strap on baby and go for a walk or try other videos--remember that it doesn't have to be 10K on the fitbit if you want to try other things. Good for you after a c-section! Those things can be tough!

Capt_Apollo

seriously, as a triathlete, i have about 2 endurance work outs a week, and the other four are short intense ones. most other people (we call them normies) have one endurance workout, usually on the weekend, and the others are short.

Onesnap

I would say break up that workout so you're doing a little bit every day. That way you have the benefits on your metabolism and stress reduction daily. It's also too much stress on your joints and muscles to do it all at once. Break it up!

minizebu

I don't think that it will require you to work out for 140 minutes to reach 10,000 steps in a day.

If you take a 5-minute walk around the block with baby in tow, either in the stroller, or for a real work out, in your arms, then you can generate roughly 600 steps, just from that five minutes, assuming that you are walking at approximately 120 steps per minute which is right around 3mph. (5x120 = 600)

You could make a little chart for yourself that shows the time you wake up and the time you go to bed with your goal for number of steps for various points of the day and then check your pedometer against the chart throughout the day. If you haven't reached X steps by such-and-such time, then take a 5-minute walk around the block. Five minutes is really not a lot of time in the larger scheme of things.

If you divide 10,000 by 120 steps-per-minute, you would only need a total of 83.33 minutes of walking to reach 10,000 steps.

That is not even taking into consideration all the other steps you are getting from your daily living (you said 2000 or so) or from formal workouts.

Try incorporating these short walks for the next few days and see if it makes a difference.

jaga13

minizebu wrote: »

I don't think that it will require you to work out for 140 minutes to reach 10,000 steps in a day.

If you take a 5-minute walk around the block with baby in tow, either in the stroller, or for a real work out, in your arms, then you can generate roughly 600 steps, just from that five minutes, assuming that you are walking at approximately 120 steps per minute which is right around 3mph. (5x120 = 600)

You could make a little chart for yourself that shows the time you wake up and the time you go to bed with your goal for number of steps for various points of the day and then check your pedometer against the chart throughout the day. If you haven't reached X steps by such-and-such time, then take a 5-minute walk around the block. Five minutes is really not a lot of time in the larger scheme of things.

If you divide 10,000 by 120 steps-per-minute, you would only need a total of 83.33 minutes of walking to reach 10,000 steps.

That is not even taking into consideration all the other steps you are getting from your daily living (you said 2000 or so) or from formal workouts.

Try incorporating these short walks for the next few days and see if it makes a difference.

Good points. Even if you wanted to be more conservative, you could easily assume 100 minutes would give you 10,000+ steps. 30 minutes in the morning, 2 walks with the baby at 10 minutes each, 20 minutes marching in place while watching your favorite tv show, 10 minutes marching in place while cooking/laundry, 10 minutes of activity before you go to bed, etc....

ashypashy7

Thank you everyone

I love the flex but it doesn't work well with Leslie Sansone videos, she uses a lot of non normal step movements that it (I think) doesn't pick up well.

I've never been a big go outside person, which is deff something I'm working on, we go on a few long hikes around here when SO is off (I'm too scared of bears to go outside the village on my own,) other than that a walk around the town and back normally gives me 2k steps. Often times it seems like getting the baby ready takes more time then going for a walk lol. Thanks for the suggestions!

jaga13

Ah, I remember how long it took to get a baby ready (mine are 6 and 3 now). When the weather was too hot/cold/rainy, I would drive to Walmart or Sam's Club and use the stroller in there.

You're actually in a great position, fitness-wise, being at home. Much better than being chained to a desk! You can really stay on your feet most of the day if you want to. Plus, soon the baby will be crawling and you'll be chasing her all over the place

minizebu

ashypashy7 wrote: »

Often times it seems like getting the baby ready takes more time then going for a walk lol. Thanks for the suggestions!

It doesn't have to be that formal an outing. I was actually talking about a five minute walk, tops. That is, step outside of your front door, set your phone timer for 2 1/2 minutes. Walk as far as you can until your buzzer goes off and then turn around and come back inside. You don't even have to leave your own property. Walk around the back or front yard in circles if you have a single family home, or walk around the apartment building complex.

If you make exercise into a big fuss and formal interruption of your day, then it will be easier to blow it off. Instead, incorporate activity in your day more spontaneously.

Is the baby fussing? Pick her up and walk outside for five minutes. Often times taking a baby out into the fresh air (cool or warm) will have a calming effect on their dispositions.

Good luck.

cwolfman13

moving is moving...

more specific fitness goals would provide more reasoning and a better answer to your questions...but movement is movement and movement is good.