Exercise - How many days a week do you exercise and what do you do?
mpkpbk2015
Posts: 766 Member
Trying to avoid the Covid weight gain and come up with some new exercises. How many days a week do you exercise ? And what do you do? Is it all Aerobic or a combination of Aerobic and Strength.
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Replies
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I do something every morning first thing (after feeding the cats), duration and intensity varies.
In December and January, I did some trainer-led workout videos Mon-Thu (strength, cardio, dumbbells, cardio again) and a quick 6-minute bodyweight circuit on Friday mornings (6 moves, 30 seconds each, run through the circuit twice - butt kickers, push ups, squats, crunches, glute bridges, supermans). On the weekends I would just do a brief full-body stretch.
For February and March, I decided to change it up. I'm still pretty much a beginner, so I found a "beginner" 28-day challenge on runtastic.com - each workday is 4 or 5 sets of 3 bodyweight moves sustained/repeated for a given duration, e.g. 4 sets of 30 seconds each of jumping jacks, wall sits, and high-knees. There are built-in rest days, and on those days I do a 10-minute beginner yoga sequence. This month represents a pretty sharp drop in intensity compared to last month, so I've been supplementing with walks and Ring Fit Adventure in the evenings. There's a park nearby with a walking trail and outdoor fitness equipment; I think in the spring and summer I'll start going there on my way home from work, when daylight lasts a bit longer.4 -
I do some form of exercise daily. I miss a day here and there, but typically walk my dog everyday...2.5-3 miles, usually in the AM with my travel mug of coffee while I watch the sunrise and contemplate the day that lies before me.
I am a cycling enthusiast and I'm following a structured training program at the moment...I have 2 "workout" days and another 1-2 "free rides" per week. "Workout" rides are usually between 30 and 45 minutes at the moment. "Free rides" are typically 45-60 minutes. When it gets nicer and I can cycle outside, I will likely have a longer ride for my weekend ride as I'll start meeting up for group rides and such with my cycling buddies.
I'm in the weight room 2x per week...sometimes 3. Typical week looks like:
Sunday - Weight room AM; walk in the afternoon with the family or a hike or some other recreational exercise with the family.
Monday - Walk AM (rest/recovery day)
Tuesday - Walk AM; bike workout PM
Wednesday - Walk AM; bike free ride PM
Thursday - Walk AM; bike workout PM
Friday - Walk AM; Weight room PM
Saturday - Walk AM; bike free ride or hiking or some other recreational exercise activity (active rest/recovery day)
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Ok. What are we calling exercise ?
If we include long walks with dog and friends 5-10km, then every day. I do some type of "exercise " everyday. BUT, I consider that NEAT more than purposeful exercise.
As far as purposeful exercise, I lift 5-6 days a week and I do yoga 2-3 days a week plus I am a runner (usually 2 days a week, ice depending )
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Thanks Goal06082021 great information I will check the website too. I need to start something other than walking and running. Need to start toning up. Have a great week0
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Varies lots. In the better weather (i.e., not now, but when permitted during pandemic, lasts Fall), usually 4 days on water rowing, 2 days "other" (walk, bike). I don't usually lift during on-water rowing season (and less than ideal during Winter, besides, even I know that's a Bad Plan, because I really dislike lifting).
I've been very active for around 18 years, much longer than I've been sub-obese. (I'm 65, for context.) It's routine for me to reduce workout volume in Winter. Often I do a rowing machine challenge US Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve that has me machine rowing around 40 minutes x 6 days. After that, I'm usually kind of over machine rowing, psychologically, realistically. Pre-pandemic, I did 2 spin classes weekly year round, plus one rowing team workout (water or machine) once a week September to May.
The avoidance of strength training during on-water and Holiday Challenge periods is intentional. I don't recover properly, if I try to fit in meaningful strength training, personally. (I'm sure my lack of enthusiasm for doing it contributes to my not seeking a way around that.)
During the part of the pandemic lockdowns where I couldn't row on water, I was doing either a machine row, 4 mile brisk walk, or 10mi (or more) bike ride 6 days most weeks; 3 days, I'd keep any machine row more like 30 minutes (6k + cool down) and do 30-40 minutes strength training, then do more like a 40 minute row (8k + CD) on the other 3 days, unless I walked or biked.
Right now, I'm in my usual post-holiday slack-off mode, needing to get a good routine going again (6 days would be good), but I'm not too worried about it, because I go through this every year. I'll be on and off a bit until Spring, doing some machine rowing, some strength (weights or kettlebell, mostly), some yoga/stretching, some core work (I like the stability ball for this), walks when the weather isn't super brutal (single digits F here today and snow banks on roadsides where I'd usually walk, so *no*), but realistically I'll go multiple days in a row without working out, January until April/May. Eventually, that will feel too crummy, and I'll do some workouts, and drag myself through the balance of Winter. Not ideal, but it'll be OK.
I just ordered a stationary bike to give me some cardio variety from just rowing. (I'm in OK cardiovascular shape, but have joint issues so high-impact things are out. Low-impact cardio on videos mostly doesn't raise my heart rate enough to be useful, and high impact has too much impact/torque for my joints.)
I've been at a healthy weight for 5+ years now, so I know pretty well how to maintain weight through all of the exercise variation.
Not very inspiring, but true. 😉2 -
cwolfman as soon as the weather improves I need to pull the old racing bike out. I enjoying biking it gives me time to think and plan out my day. We use to have some pretty awesome cycling clubs in Plano. Thanks for the great insights1
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AnnPT77 I am right there with you I am 66 and 1.8 away from my goal. And hope I can maintain once I get there and stay healthy and fit. Yes, very inspiring the fact that you have maintained for 5 years.2
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WanRMOms exercise to me is anything done consistently to reduce or burn calories and maintain weight. It may not be the text book definition but if you look up all the things on MFP that count for exercise they aren't in Websters either. I am just trying to get some ideas to add to and freshen up my routine. Thanks for your input.0
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Ok. What are we calling exercise ?
If we include long walks with dog and friends 5-10km, then every day. I do some type of "exercise " everyday. BUT, I consider that NEAT more than purposeful exercise.
As far as purposeful exercise, I lift 5-6 days a week and I do yoga 2-3 days a week plus I am a runner (usually 2 days a week, ice depending )
I consider any purposeful movement for an extended duration to be exercise. I think there is a delineation between "exercise" and "workout"...all workouts are exercise, but not all exercise is necessarily a "workout". Like I consider my walking and free rides to be exercise, but not "workouts". A hike in the mountains when I'm camping is great exercise...but I don't consider it to be a "workout" (unless it's a truly gnarly trail)2 -
I workout 6 days a week (usually) I walk with my daughter and husky or I do aerobics1
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Thanks Megan I current walk with my teenage daughter which is challenging because she is 5'10 and I am 5'2 so actual I am running to keep up with her needless to say.3
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I exercise every day unless life gets in the way, typically 4 days cycling outdoors with very varied durations/distances and 3 strength training sessions at the gym. In winter my cycling is badly affected by weather conditions and in a normal year I do more on an indoor bike trainer. In this very abnormal year I'm simply trying to ride outdoors as much as I can.
Trying harder in Lockdown #3 to keep up with strength training at home which personally I find quite dull.
Swiss ball, dumbbells and bodyweight exercises but I simply don't find that as enjoyable as using gym equipment.1 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »WanRMOms exercise to me is anything done consistently to reduce or burn calories and maintain weight. It may not be the text book definition but if you look up all the things on MFP that count for exercise they aren't in Websters either. I am just trying to get some ideas to add to and freshen up my routine. Thanks for your input.
I was just clarifying what you were looking for. Because, sometimes I answer this type of question and don't include my walking but then see others do. I don't drive I walk everywhere (1800-2200 steps a day most days) so I need to remember to mention the walking, sometimes, as for me it's just everyday life. I wasn't putting down seeing walking as exercise just clarifying.1 -
mpkpbk2015 wrote: »WanRMOms exercise to me is anything done consistently to reduce or burn calories and maintain weight. It may not be the text book definition but if you look up all the things on MFP that count for exercise they aren't in Websters either. I am just trying to get some ideas to add to and freshen up my routine. Thanks for your input.
In that case, I do zero exercise, ever. 😉
All of the activity in my life is for fun, for functional strength and health that helps me be independent and do fun things, and that sort of stuff.
Like I said, I was very active while obese. That was really good for my health and strength. Now at a healthy weight, I'm healthier in general in some ways (cholesterol, blood pressure), but not stronger or fitter (as measured, for example, by things like resting heart rate and maximum rowing machine pace).
Obese me, and thin me, both did/do about the same activities, in the same volumes and frequencies. By the "done consistently to reduce or burn calories and maintain weight" definition, none of it is "exercise". 😉😆
Other people's mileage will vary, and that's OK.4 -
I do 6 days a week most weeks. I take Wednesdays off. Su, M, T, TH, and Sa I lift (A/B workouts, alternating days/weeks). Su, M, T, Th, F and Sa I do cardio as well. I alternate between Les Mills programs - Body Combat and either The Trip or Sprint (both are cycling). Friday nights I follow up the cardio with a 10 or 15 minute CXWORX (core program). Sundays are usually my lighter days - weights and a short (20 minute) Body Combat. I workout between roughly 35-70 minutes each day.
I also have a very sedentary job, hence all the cardio. I know cardio is sometimes frowned upon, but I sit the majority my work day, so I need some movement in my day,0 -
I exercise every day, or at least I aim for at least 10000 steps a day (but really it's more like 12000). I do total body heavy weight training in a gym 3 days a week that's a bit more glute focused and core work 3 days a week at home. I get some form of cardio or even just jogging in place to get those steps every day, but if I'm really active that day I might not do any formal exercise. My formal cardio consists of YouTube--Zumba or Tae Bo, or walking briskly outdoors to get some fresh air and Vitamin D (but it's been too cold for that lately, for me anyway). 2 days a week I do intervals on a BoFlex trainer thing I have at home. I also try to do some sort of stretching every day and have been doing even more to help with mobility and chronic tension.
It's pretty easy for me to get this in every day because I find it pretty fun, or at least I know I always feel better afterwards. Exercise has always been the easiest thing for me to implement in terms of "getting healthy," while the eating part always took more work.2 -
Wow Speakeasy76 I am impressed. I am the opposite I can get the food part done. The exercise piece is always a challenge. I have to push myself. That's why I am always looking for advise to see how other people manage to get it done. Thanks again.0
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barefootbridg you are on it. I am retired and need to get more cardio in. I didn't realize cardio is frowned upon. I thought is was good to keep your heart healthy and metabolism up. And that weight training was good to keep your bones from becoming brittle . I am learning so much from this post. Thank you0
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sijomial - your getting it done. Thanks for sharing.1
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I exercise 7 days a week, most weeks.
Walk to and from the bus.
Walk up and down stairs.
Walk at lunch.
Walk after work.
Cycle on weekends and sometimes after work.
Sometimes I go for a run. Sometimes I row on my rowing machine. We've added canoeing into the mix. And I'm trying to do weights 3 days a week now.
M in Oz2 -
I usually work out 5 days a week... resting on Wed and Sun. I like to mix it up. I do strength training and cardio. For cardio, I mainly cycle on my indoor trainer.2
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typically 6 days per week for me. Monday is a rest day. Right now its 2 swims, 3 bikes, 2 runs plus a couple strength/yoga sessions weekly. Keeps me out of trouble
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I get some exercise every day. I need it for my mental health as much as for the physical. I usually walk with my husband and the dog every day. My 13 year old dog is having issues at the moment, so can't walk, but before that we were walking at least 2-3 miles every day. Without our nighttime walk, my husband and I are only doing 1.5 - 2 miles a day. I run 5 days a week, 35-40 mpw. On my non-running days, I get on the stationary bike or do an exercise video or do yoga or pilates or walk some more, either a hike or some brisk miles on the TM at incline.2
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M in Oz thanks for responding I like the fact you manage to get something done 7 days a week. I am striving to get to that point. Thanks again.0
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Irw327 thank you 5 days a week that's where I am right now. But I need more variety because its to the point where its boring so I dread doing it. Appreciate your input.0
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Djprouix love the variety that's what I'm looking for appreciate the input.Have a great week.
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spiriteagle99 I like the variety I am getting some great ideas from my post. Thank you so much.0
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I have and can do many other things but currently I just row 10km/day in 4 sets of 2.5km (13-14 min @ for a total of 52-56 mins/day almost everyday on my Concept2 rower.
Seems be all of the exercise that I need these days at 70 to maintain my muscularity, strength and fitness despite having a complete Olympic wt lifting gym in my garage, a professional grade spin bike in the house and a lot of Crossfit gear in my backyard.0 -
I exercise everyday.
I walk/run at least 90 minutes in the morning daily. Since I'm not working, I've been doing it twice now with an evening walk before dinner.
M-shoulders
T- chest
W- back
T- biceps
F- triceps
S- quads
S- hamstrings
Will also throw in kickboxing somewhere in there 2 times a week.
When I'm working, I instruct cardio kickboxing 2 times a week (1 hour class), but still keep the same workout schedule.
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
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I am training to be an Aqua Aerobics instructor, so I try to get to Aqua classes at least 3 times a week. I also teach little children to swim, so I swim myself at least twice a week. I have just taken up Floatboard, sort of Pilates on a big board on the water...because I can get it on my pool payment plan, and because I was curious! Two or three times a week I do a sort of HIIT walking plan: 3 sessions of walking as fast as I can for 10 minutes, in a day.
I am overweight, but quite fit. I am trying to reduce the calories because I have bad knees, and I know less pressure will be good for them!1
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