How often should I work out really?

Kittyy1994

Hi all, rookie question I know but how often should I be working out. I do a boxing circuit class that is 45 min 4 times a week and an hour one on one boxing once a week. Is 5 days ok? I also walk daily. Is it preferable to have rest days or no- currently I don’t work out on Friday or Saturday

diannethegeek

Your workouts should be based on your goals. For just weight loss, you don't have to workout at all. It's personal preference how much you workout if you're just using it to burn calories. If you have more specific fitness goals then you want to tailor your training to your goals, but it's impossible to say without knowing what they are.

estherdragonbat

Depends on goals as @diannethegeek says above, but also the intensity level. I exercise every day, but my cardio is a daily walk. (I aim for 2 hours; anything over 90 minutes is good enough. Under 90 minutes and I do 80 on the Gazelle Edge glider in the basement). None of that is particularly strenuous. I don't ache the next day. Now, when I was training for a 5K, that was 3 days a week and in the rare weeks where I did a couple of training days back to back (I know, stupid, but I was having a tooth extracted and the dental surgeon told me that for 72 hours after the surgery, I shouldn't run. I did two days back to back, took the 3 days post-surgery to recover from it, and ran again on day 4), I suffered for it the next day. If I did HIIT or zumba, I wouldn't think I'd do either daily. (I don't know enough about boxing to know where it falls on the intensity spectrum.)

I strength train 5 days a week, alternating between lower body and upper/core. Whichever half gets 3 days in Week 1 gets 2 in Week 2 and vice versa, and I take 2 days off. It's dumbbells ranging from 8 to 35lbs depending on the exercise. If I was doing more, I'd probably need more recuperation time.

Basically, a bit of soreness the next day is to be expected when you're just starting a program, but if you're in real pain, you may be doing too much too fast or doing something wrong.

AnnPT77

For general health, most mainstream authorities suggest a minimum of 150 minutes weekly of moderate intensity cardiovascular (CV) exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous CV exercise, or an equivalent combination; plus a minimum of 2 strength training sessions.

As others have said, for weight loss alone, it's completely optional, but CV exercise earns you a few more calories to eat, and strength training helps preserve existing muscle while you lose fat.

For general happiness short term, the answer is "however much makes you feel good and leaves you with good overall life balance". (Long term, as you age, you might wish your younger self had put a higher priority on exercise, but that depends on what your younger self enjoys, of course.)

I'm a believer in at least one rest day weekly (which can include mild activity like stretching or easy yoga, a casual walk, etc.), and extra rest days when your body says you need one.

MikePTY

That already sounds like a decently advanced schedule. How is your body handling it? If your body is reacting okay to it, I think it is fine to continue you with. Without knowing your fitness goals I can't say for sure if you should do anything different, but that sounds like a good amount of exercise to get into pretty good shape if you stick with it.

I am a big believer in rest days too. I train around 90 minutes a day 5 times a week, but try to have 1-2 days of rest every week. I feel my body recovers better that way and gives me more energy to push hard during my training.