Exercise Amount

Sheisinlove109

How do you figure out what the right amount of exercise is? What is considered overdoing it and never giving your body time to "heal"?

cwolfman13

I tend to follow structured programs...right now I'm ramping up my training for a 1/2 century in May and then a national mileage challenge in June. In July and August I'll be doing time trials and then I have a century slated for September.

There's not really a right answer, but a lot of people do too much too soon and neglect to take into account their current fitness level and go from zero to all the exercises.

When I started out about 4.5 years ago, I did nothing but walk for the first couple of months...then I started a 5K running program while continuing to walk on non running days...I still do quite a bit of walking and I walk on my rest days. Three or four months into things I added weight training, again with a structured program...about a year later I was training for a sprint triathlon (with a structured program).

Fitness is something that is developed over time.

Machka9

1) I have a collection of long distance rides on the schedule this year, so I gradually build up toward each, and then back off a bit after and then gradually build up to the next, and so on.

2) I am also riding a Petite Year Round Randonneur which has me riding one 100 km event each month. That fits into my schedule for building up mentioned in Point 1 and motivates me to ride regularly.

3) I am also attempting a CAM - Century-A-Month where I'll ride a 160 km (100 mile) ride each month. That also fits into my schedule for building up mentioned in Point 1 and motivates me to ride regularly.

4) I vary what I do, so I will ride something either hilly or long or both on the weekend to build up strength and endurance, but during the week I'll do short rides, brisk walks, stair climbing and/or weights.

5) I try to do a light day at least one day each week. My light day this week was yesterday and all I did was to walk 3 km ... slowly. The legs wouldn't let me do much more than that because I had done a heavy cycling day (big, big climb) the day before.


I should add that I've been doing this sort of thing for a very long time, but have had to build up from scratch twice in that time ... once from a rather serious injury and once from a rather serious illness.

The principles are basically the same ... get a goal and gradually build up toward it, exercise regularly each month, vary what you do, and take a bit of time for rest.

spiriteagle99

It depends on where you are now with your fitness, and what activities you're doing. A true beginner should probably start with 30 minutes a day, at most. Walking is low impact, so can be done most days, but something that stresses the body more (i.e. weights, running) should begin with every other day. If there is pain, then back off. If it feels easy, then you can add some time or intensity (but not both at once). If you are more used to physical exercise, then 4-6 days a week is okay for most people. If you are in serious training mode, you may end up doing something every day, but some days will be at low intensity so your body can heal. Mixing up your activities is a good way to let your muscles heal as well.

If you start feeling run down, if you are achy all the time, if your heart rate is higher than usual when you are resting, if you start getting sick a lot - then you may be overtraining. Listen to your body.

Sheisinlove109

I'm absolutely determined this time. I'm a big girl but I'm not weak so I've pushed myself hard. Do you say 30 minutes because of safety or learning commitment?

I'm doing 65 min on elliptical, 30 min weight training, daily.

pdxhak

Recovery is all you need to know. Your body will tell you if you are pushing too hard. Can you improve upon the previous week? If the answer is no then you are doing too much.

pdxhak

Recovery is all you need to know. Your body will tell you if you are pushing too hard. Can you improve upon the previous week? If the answer is no then you are doing too much.

Machka9

sunsweet77 wrote: »

I'm absolutely determined this time. I'm a big girl but I'm not weak so I've pushed myself hard. Do you say 30 minutes because of safety or learning commitment?

I'm doing 65 min on elliptical, 30 min weight training, daily.

Personally, I'd mix it up a bit.

Do that 5 days a week, and then go for a brisk walk or go swimming or try out snowshoeing or cross-country skiing or kayaking or rowing or something else on the other 2 days.

I've found that if I do the same thing every day, after just a few weeks it gets really old.

Mixing it up a little bit is a mental break, but also give the muscles you use most of the time a chance to rest while using some that you don't use very often.

spiriteagle99

If you are doing weight training every day, make sure to alternate parts of the body worked i.e. upper body one day and lower body the next. If you work the same muscles all the time, you tear down the muscle and it doesn't have time to build back up again.