Is 25 minutes/day enough?

Greenline30

Hi! I'm 3 weeks into my weight loss journey and I'm determined to reach my goals. Yay! I started T25 last week and i can tell I'm getting stronger and faster with it buuut it's only 25 minutes and while intense I am not sure if just doing that 5/week is enough. Should I push myself to incorporate jogging, walking, Zumba, etc? My activity level borders on sedentary and light...

I know it's my body and my choice, but I just feel I could use some input here. Do you do several workouts in one day? I don't want to add a bunch of things in and get burnt out, but I don't want to "under do it" either. Feedback would be great. Thanks!

malibu927

As you said, it's your choice. Weight loss is primarily calories in<calories out. Exercise isn't necessary for it, but it certainly helps in other areas (heart health for cardio, muscle strength/retention for strength training).

Yi5hedr3

25 a day is plenty!

cafeaulait7

Health-wise, I think it is better to work up to 45-1 hr of movement a day if you can. But certainly a consistent 25 minutes with something as hard as you are doing is very, very good! Don't burn yourself out, yeah. See how much you enjoy and just be consistent at this point, so only add more if you enjoy it.

I do have different chunks of things I do in a day, so that I can pick what sounds fun. I always do a least a bit of yoga and scheduled weights, but to make up more time I do various little workouts (often on DVDs).

I've started sprints with my fast dog, too! That doesn't take more time than walking her, but man is it more movement and heart pumping! That should work throughout most of winter here, so it'll make up for me not being as active outside, too.

Greenline30

Sounds good!! Thank you and I agree I think I could do at least a little bit more consistently through the day. Maybe a walk even? Zumba online? I can do more

ghouli

For me personally, right now I'm doing the 30DS but I also go to the gym at night, and on the two days out of the week I don't go to the gym I try to get out for a walk or something because I don't feel like the 20 minutes of 30DS are enough and I like to get more stuff in. Do what feels right for you! During my other weight loss attempts I would try to cram too much in and it wore me out and I eventually stopped doing everything,

Clydefit88

Do what feels right. Try to make small goals like 25-30 if that is what you feel you need. In the end if you are losing the weight you want then don't change anything-if you are thinking to increase your workouts for the "feel good" then absolutely add more. But again, most of it depends on what your putting in your body. I really enjoy what people are saying about: rest, recovery and clean eating are absolutely key. Give yourself the pat on the back your deserve and then step it up when it is not overwhelming. You rock!

rybo

That is plenty, especially at the beginning. Time spent exercising usually isn't as important as the quality of the exercise, when you are just trying to lose a little weight & increase your general fitness.

danika2point0

If this is your first introduction to exercise, I would recommend just doing whatever you think you can stick with! This will help you build up to an achievable habit. I started with Jillian Michael's DVDs...and they were sometimes only 30 minutes long. That was great because I found myself being unable to make any excuses - I mean 30 minutes! It's not like I was trying to run for 2 hours. That was 4 years ago! Now, it's a habit, I feel I can be more flexible in the amount of time I commit to and the variety of exercises I do. In the beginning, just creating the habit is what helped me. Best of luck. x

kbakhtawar69

Check out FitnessBlender on YouTube. They have 30 minute workouts for whatever you're looking for (weightloss, strength, fitness etc.)

debrakgoogins

I agree with @danika2point0. Do as much as you feel comfortable doing and build up until you are working out 45 minutes to an hour or whatever you can do. If you overdo it, you might feel it is too much and give up. Do what keeps you motivated to keep doing it and continue to push yourself just a little further.

VanillaGorillaUK

See what the results are and then make adjustments

TheDancingWriter

It's recommended you at least get 150 minutes of exercise a week, so it absolutely is. However, the 25 minutes you work out must be of a moderate intensity to see results. You must also make a 500 calorie deficit per day to safely lose about a pound a week. And, trust me, you do want to slowly lose weight since you have a far better chance of keeping it off.

Working2BLean

You seem excited and energized to do your best! Awesome!

Just pay attention to sore joints if you start doing too much.

A variety is good. I mix together two kinds of cardio almost every day.

Ride my stationary bike a while then hit the elliptical for a while if the weather is bad. On nice days ride my bike then park it at the house and run a 5k or something short like that right away.

It keeps boredom from setting in from doing the same thing for an hour or more.

Sounds like you know your goals and are slowly working toward them.

Good job!

I should only say to keep an eye on your calories to keep a healthy deficit

You are on track

Greenline30

Thank you all very much! I love the feedback about seeing the results before I start making adjustments and also focusing on making exercise a habit. I'm eating very well and staying within my deficit, so I feel confident about that. I do feel a bit inactive since it's the slow season at work and I'm just not moving much at all... So I do think I should at least take walks or something. Too bad it's getting cold, but I'll figure it out thank you all!

I look forward to building up once I've created a solid foundation.

Bghere1

If you don't see the results your after, and have the time, and energy, and not injuring yourself, then, do it. Try setting limits to the high side rather than a lower limit. make 25 minutes your minimum your committed to, but always strive for more. Another popular option when trying to increase range/ speed etc, is to ad 10% per week to time or distance or whatever your trying to improve upon.

KANGOOJUMPS

everyone is different, I would say that's a good start... I aim for 2 to 3 hours cardio a day.

47Jacqueline

You can lose weight without exercising. Exercising will help you get/stay healthy. These are the basic recommendations from ACSM:

150 minutes of moderate activity a week (i.e., walking); 30 minutes, 5x a week to be considered physically active.
+
150 minutes of activity, where you break a sweat a week; 30 minutes, 5x a week to achieve physical fitness.

It's pretty minimal, when you think about it.

livelovebbg

I've personally had great success doing 30-35 minute workouts 5x a week (Jillian Michaels and Kayla Itsines). I think as long as you're consistent you'll see results. But if you WANT to work out for longer because you enjoy it and have the time, go for it.

kbmnurse

I would add a walk in there at least 3x weekly. Listen to some music and just do it.

ndj1979

weight loss is calories in vs calories out. Exercise is for general health and body comp.

i would suggest looking into a structured weight lifting regimen like strong lifts or all pro beginner routine.

FitCurves1818

I'm currently doing T25. I just listen to my body. Some days the 25 min isn't enough so I add something else. Some days I can barely fit in and/or have just enough energy and will to get through the 25. If you feel like you have the energy for more, and it doesn't derail your plans or progress i.e. you do so hard one day you can't follow the program and do your T25 workout the next day, I say go for more. Especially if you're trying to lose weight or you want to eat a little more than your current calorie allowance.