So HOW MUCH exercise do you REALLY need? What are we talking

I'm not talking about training two hours a day like Jack Lalanne has for the last ¾ of a century, or doing hours of high intensity weight training like a competitive bodybuilder, or an hour and a half of cardio a day like an endurance athlete, unless that's called for to reach a certain goal, or unless that's what you enjoy.

I'm not talking about lifting weights every day. You need recovery time from intense forms of training.

I'm not talking about never taking an entire week off for rest and renewal.

And I'm not talking about never taking any days off.

What I AM talking about is doing some form of moderate exercise - enough to break a sweat, get you breathing heavy and bring your heart rate up - almost every day of the week, most of the year.

It could be the popular six day program alternating weights and cardio every other day with Sundays off. It could be two days a week of lifting weights, two days of aerobics classes and two days of hiking or mountain biking (six days total with one rest day). If it's fat loss you want, then cardio every day with a few days of strength training works like magic.

It could be virtually anything! Choose what you love to do - just do something every day, include both strength training and aerobic training each week and do it on a regular schedule at the same time each day.

Ultimately, the amount of exercise you REALLY need is the amount it takes to give you the results you want.

However, there are some very compelling reasons to exercise every day...

Why every day? Because that makes it a HABIT.

Anything you do repeatedly (especially daily) will eventually become a habit, and your habits, positive or negative, will control your results and ultimately, shape your destiny.

Habits can be harnessed to your advantage, propelling you downstream towards your desired destination, or they can become your worst enemy, forcing you to paddle fruitlessly upstream against their powerful currents.

Ninety-nine percent of the things you do each day are done on "automatic pilot" - without consciously thinking, deciding, choosing or exerting willpower. That is the power of habit and exercise is one of the most positive habits you will ever develop.

Why else is daily exercise a good idea? Because you develop METABOLIC MOMENTUM.

Your metabolism is like a spinning top. You twist the top and it starts spinning at maximum velocity, but not long after your fingers leave contact with the top, it's already slowing down.

Eventually, the revolutions decrease and the top starts to wobble. You have to spin it again before it loses all its momentum and topples over. By spinning it more frequently, the average rpm's stay higher and the top never slows to a wobble.

Your metabolism is the same way. Exercise "spins" your metabolic rate. Many factors affect metabolism, but nothing else cranks up and maintains your metabolic speed like frequent exercise of sufficient intensity.

Yes, I hear the grumbles and groans from the peanut gallery... "You mean 3 days a week isn't enough?" But how am I supposed to find time to exercise every day? That's impossible because I have kids, a job and a life, you know!

Impossible???

Here's a novel idea: Get your butt out of bed 30 minutes earlier!

Are you really concerned about quality time with your family? If so, then you OWE IT TO THEM to take the time to take care of yourself so you'll be around long enough to enjoy their company.

We live in a society with more demands on our time than ever before. But if you don't make time for exercise now, you'll lose time to sickness and immobility later.

Psychologists tell us that most people will almost never take action to PREVENT a problem, only take action to GET RID OF a problem after it has already occurred. So true isn't it? Unfortunately for many, that may be too late.

Your body is remarkably forgiving, but there's only so much abuse it can take. Abuse includes negative actions like smoking, drinking, drug use and eating refined junk food. But sometimes that abuse comes in the simple form of neglect - it's what you don't do that hurts you the most.

Can you exercise too much? Certainly. Is there a point where you become overtained? Of course. Is there a point of diminishing returns? Sure is. Can training become an unhealthy obsession? Absolutely. Do you need to take time off for recovery and renewal? Most definitely! Should you maximize your workout efficiency to get the most benefit in the least time? A resounding YES!

However, if I were you, I'd be far more concerned about getting too little activity than getting too much.

So, my friend, if you want to go on believing in the hype you read in the magazines and best selling books these days about minimalist training, once per week workouts, (or less), or the diet that doesn't require ANY exercise, just eat these special food combinations, take these supplements or cut out all the carbs and get the body of your dreams, that's your choice... it's your body, your health and your life... let your results be your guide.

But when you're unhappy with your results, and when you stand in front of the mirror scratching your head trying to figure out why you don't look and feel the way you want to look and feel... and when you start to feel the downward pull of gravity and body parts are sagging... and when the aches and pains strike, and the doctor's visits become more frequent..

..AND, when you see that there are others the same age as you, in the same circumstances as you, with the same number of hours in the day that you have, who have remained lean, healthy, and muscular...

..THEN GET OFF YOUR GLUTEUS MAXIMUS AND GET SOME EXERCISE EVERY SINGLE DAY. YOUR BODY WANTS IT, NEEDS IT AND IS LITERALLY BEGGING FOR IT.