How often?

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fraggles1805
fraggles1805 Posts: 33 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi just wanting a bit of advice, trying to lose a lot of weight. Doing a programme at the gym 3 times a week which I hope to increase to 4 as soon as my baby feels like sleeping. Should I exercise at home the other days or should I rest. I am a busy mum who also does an active job on an evening so when I say rest will still be active but no planned exercise. Just confused whether a rest is needed or better to do exercise every day? Thanks in advance.

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  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    3-4 days a week is FINE.

    You can do 6 if you mix it up and feel up to it, but don't do 7, you need to rest.
  • fraggles1805
    fraggles1805 Posts: 33 Member
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    Thank you
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    It depends a lot on what you are doing, what you plan to achieve, your condition, prior injuries and your enjoyment.

    1) It shouldn't be a task - find something you enjoy and enjoy doing it.
    2) Listen to the twinges and pains - anything beyond normal soreness it a sign to stop or slow down an activity.
    3) Incorporate post-exercise streching to all cardio and all resistance training - both benefit from work on flexibility and reduce the risk of injury
    4) Work up slowly - loading exercise too quickly is a good way to give up, injure yourself or burn out early. Give yourself 3-4 weeks with any change prior to stacking on more
    5) Consistency and "mixing it up". Before you mix things up - be consistent, gains in fitness or performance are achieved by neural, muscular and cardiovascular adaptation - these take time; do the same thing over several weeks or months is the the best way to achieve improvements. Mix things up in order to develop other strengths or muscle groups or overall fitness and to give you recovery time from one activity, not to "confuse the muscles".

    What else? who wants to continue the list?
  • fraggles1805
    fraggles1805 Posts: 33 Member
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    Hi and thanks, think I am going to start at 3 times and then once fully established with that try and increase fro there as want to succeed long term. Thank you.

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