How Many Days Do You Exercise?

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Replies

  • sophia162
    sophia162 Posts: 115 Member
    Wow. And here I was literally forcing myself to have one full-blown, no-nonsense rest day every week... and feeling worried it should be two! :lol:

    So you all don't get burnt out, injured, fatigued, etc?

    Well, obviously no, otherwise you wouldn't do it, ha. I suppose you fuel yourselves accordingly, get adequate sleep, etc.

    Very impressive, congratulations to everyone here :star:
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    sophia162 wrote: »
    Wow. And here I was literally forcing myself to have one full-blown, no-nonsense rest day every week... and feeling worried it should be two! :lol:

    So you all don't get burnt out, injured, fatigued, etc?

    Well, obviously no, otherwise you wouldn't do it, ha. I suppose you fuel yourselves accordingly, get adequate sleep, etc.

    Very impressive, congratulations to everyone here :star:

    I do power walks for recovery, so that counts as an activity. Just low intensity.
  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
    All of them lol
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    How are we defininging exercise? For me walking isn't exercise so much as it's how I get around when I'm not using my car or taking a bus. Going by that definition, 4-6 times a week (sometimes two a days depending on what I'm doing and why). I need a minimum of one rest day, this week it might be more like two depending on how I feel tomorrow morning.
  • littlebear0121
    littlebear0121 Posts: 1,073 Member
    6 or 7. I Nordic walk most days, on others I bike, row indoors, rollerblade, or do an exercise video. I have some inflammation in one shoulder now and am unsure about how my activity level is affecting it. I'm 39.
  • andreascjonsson
    andreascjonsson Posts: 433 Member
    Damn people are active :O im working out 3-5 days a week, mostly jiu jiutsu practices and my body already feels exhousted all the time....
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I exercise 7 days a week. If I start skipping or taking "rest days" I tend to start doing it more and more until I'm totally out of habit. I stay consistent by making sure I do something every day. If I'm not feeling great or I do need a rest, I just do gentle things that day, like dog walks and yoga. But I make sure every day includes some kind of fitness.

    I suppose if I were very sick I would take the day off, but I haven't had a day like that in a few years now. I don't really get sick too often - not sure if that's just good luck or because of my consistent health habits. Maybe a little bit of both? :)
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    Wow that is impressive! Well done!

    I exercise 4 days a week. 3 x strength training. 1 x HIIT and abs. I've been doing this for five weeks consistently now, but I'm still in the process of it becoming a habit. Within the next few weeks I am going to try and do a cardio day on the weekends as I'm currently not doing enough, but don't want to do too much at once as that makes me want to quit.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    sophia162 wrote: »
    Wow. And here I was literally forcing myself to have one full-blown, no-nonsense rest day every week... and feeling worried it should be two! :lol:

    So you all don't get burnt out, injured, fatigued, etc?

    Well, obviously no, otherwise you wouldn't do it, ha. I suppose you fuel yourselves accordingly, get adequate sleep, etc.

    Very impressive, congratulations to everyone here :star:

    I think active rest days are fine. So don’t do your weight lifting, running or whatever it is you normally do but it’s ok to do something low impact like yoga, go for a walk etc.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I tried to do something active 7 days a week. Sometimes my "workouts" are just a nice long walk, a yoga class, or raking leaves/doing yard work for a couple of hours.
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    3-4 times a week, but most of my workouts are 90 minutes long (martial arts training). sometimes rest and muscle recovery is a good thing.
  • MichelleWithMoxie
    MichelleWithMoxie Posts: 1,817 Member
    I run 7 days/week. It’s literally as much for my mental health as my physical.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    5-7 lifting 5 days a week (one body part per day).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    WOW!!!

    A LOT OF HARD CORE PEOPLE.

    I LIKE IT!!!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I walk every day.
    Sometimes I do other things.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,895 Member
    I shoot for 3 days minimum, but really try for 5. I usually run at least a mile on the treadmill each day I workout, but usually 2 to 3 miles, and try to lift at least 3 of those days. But I dont always accomplish it, I work full time M-F, and pick up shifts occasionally on weekends at my 2nd job. I also have 4 kids and my husband is currently away, so getting workouts in every day is difficult.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Just an observation: On a thread like this, we tend to get people chiming in who do a lot of exercise, which makes it seem like daily or near-daily is the general norm. But there's some (self-) selection bias: People who aren't very interested in exercise, or who feel guilty about what they do being "too little" . . . are less likely to speak up.

    IMO, not as an expert, is that people who are just starting out in exercise after not being active at all, are best served by gradually increasing exercise frequency, duration, and intensity, as opposed to jumping right into an aggressive schedule all at once. Fitness is something you build, over time.

    So, there's nothing wrong with starting out with moderate activity 2-3 times a week, or every other day, keeping it fun and energizing, then increasing from there (if desired) as fitness improves and that routine gets easier - just keep gradually increasing the challenge (doing that ought to make it more fun, ideally). Even high level athletes tend to have rest days (maybe light activity, not intense) as part of a periodized training program.

    For a lot of people, especially as a brand new exerciser, going all out from day one just reinforces the idea that being active is exhausting and miserable. In reality, being active ought to be and is energizing and fun. Ramping up from a manageble initial routine is one way to make that a reality.

    Starting out at a more moderate exercise frequency, duration and intensity, then building up, may not be dramatic bragging fodder, but it's a good way for a beginner to make progress and build confidence. I'd guarantee that in a few months or a year, you'll be surprising your former self at what you can do.

    It's the kind of approach that took me from sedentary, inactive recovering cancer/chemotherapy patient to competing in rowing races, in around 18 months or so, when I was in my mid-40s.

    Good observation.

    On that same note, people who get into the habit of doing some type of activity every day regardless of fitness level and/or intensity level are more likely to make it a habit they can stick with.

    Yes, they should start slow and easy, but once it becomes a daily habit, it becomes hard not to do it.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    edited October 2018
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Djproulx wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Just an observation: On a thread like this, we tend to get people chiming in who do a lot of exercise, which makes it seem like daily or near-daily is the general norm. But there's some (self-) selection bias: People who aren't very interested in exercise, or who feel guilty about what they do being "too little" . . . are less likely to speak up.

    IMO, not as an expert, is that people who are just starting out in exercise after not being active at all, are best served by gradually increasing exercise frequency, duration, and intensity, as opposed to jumping right into an aggressive schedule all at once. Fitness is something you build, over time.

    So, there's nothing wrong with starting out with moderate activity 2-3 times a week, or every other day, keeping it fun and energizing, then increasing from there (if desired) as fitness improves and that routine gets easier - just keep gradually increasing the challenge (doing that ought to make it more fun, ideally). Even high level athletes tend to have rest days (maybe light activity, not intense) as part of a periodized training program.

    For a lot of people, especially as a brand new exerciser, going all out from day one just reinforces the idea that being active is exhausting and miserable. In reality, being active ought to be and is energizing and fun. Ramping up from a manageble initial routine is one way to make that a reality.

    Starting out at a more moderate exercise frequency, duration and intensity, then building up, may not be dramatic bragging fodder, but it's a good way for a beginner to make progress and build confidence. I'd guarantee that in a few months or a year, you'll be surprising your former self at what you can do.

    It's the kind of approach that took me from sedentary, inactive recovering cancer/chemotherapy patient to competing in rowing races, in around 18 months or so, when I was in my mid-40s.

    Well said!!

    It takes time to build up exercise capacity. And for experienced people pursuing high level performance,(especially in endurance stuff) a periodized training program is very effective.

    Finally, most (if not all) of the high performing athletes I know have a structured "off season" or at least a few low volume weeks to allow for both physical recovery and to provide a mental break from the training mindset.


    Anybody who is going full tilt boogie all the time without including some form of periodization either: a) doesn't have the slightest idea what they're doing, and/or b) is more interested in appearing "hardcore" than training appropriately and avoiding injury.

    All of this.

    I *could* workout every day, but it wouldn't make it a good idea. I've got a history of stress fractures, and other fractures, and I'm not interested in working my body to the bone simply because I can or because some dude on the internet thinks it's a good idea.

    I firmly have seasons -- I have half marathons in February, May, and fall that I train fairly intensely for. I relish my rest break in summer, when I get to do stuff like hiking on the weekends instead, or lift without worrying about carrying the water weight from starting a lifting routine again. I'll get my next mini-break in early December, and after having done four races in the course of two months, I am eagerly looking forward to it.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Anybody who is going full tilt boogie all the time without including some form of periodization either: a) doesn't have the slightest idea what they're doing, and/or b) is more interested in appearing "hardcore" than training appropriately and avoiding injury.

    Yep! And injury is a frequent result.
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  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,085 Member
    edited October 2018
    Really depends on the time of year for me. In the first half of the off season from racing, I'll be at the gym 5 days a week plus some kind of activity at least one day on the weekend such as a bicycle ride. Focus on lifting with some light cardio.

    The last couple month just before the season kicks off (so January timeframe) I'll ramp up to pretty intense workouts 5 days a week plus a weekend activity.

    During race season, the gym visits are prone to tapering off until they full disappear the last couple months - just sheer exhaustion on my part with long weekends, short nights and no down time. Dragging my butt out of bed just to get to work on time by the end of the season.

    Every year I say I'm going to keep up the workouts all summer long, but it just never happens. September and October they pretty much disappear other than really light workouts such as going for a walk, and even those are minimal and hit or miss. Obviously still riding and racing throughout this time, so it's not like I'm a couch potato - just loading and unloading for the track is a small workout, and riding at pace is a HARD workout - but Mon-Thurs/Fri, walking ends up being about the most I do.
  • Zimm7
    Zimm7 Posts: 44 Member
    I do weight training and I also use an elliptical. Currently my schedule is 6 days on.. one day off, and im using the elliptical on alternate days. It amounts to 3 days with the weights and 3 on the elliptical. I've just dropped 50 lbs, so im moving into dietary maintenance mode, and planning on dropping back a little on cardio and upping my weight training.
  • ashbee03
    ashbee03 Posts: 274 Member
    Recently, I have started back up again at the gym. And I used to go hard for a week and then quit.
    This month I have commited myself to going 3 times a week MINIMUM, and if I go more that's awesome.
    I have done 1 week going 3x, the rest of the weeks I did 4x. MY goal next month is to go at least 4x, and hopefully 5, and work my way up.
    Mostly cardio for me..but I tried to do my muscles at least 2x.
  • Charlene____
    Charlene____ Posts: 110 Member
    7. I run 5 days a week. Sun, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. Fridays are long runs. Wednesday and Saturdays are weight training days as well as some biking and/or walking. But I don’t have a car so I walk daily to the subway, store, other errands and my job keeps me active and moving also. I get about 130K steps per week, and I’m running about 25 miles. I don’t bike as much in the fall because of the debris on the road.
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