Longer or shorter workouts?

FirecrackerJess
FirecrackerJess Posts: 276 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have a question here on how long you should work out.

I currently have MFP settings set as working out for 5 days a week, for 35 minutes, but I have been doing at least 5 days for 60-65 minutes.

I know of course you will lose more calories in 65 minutes than 35, but in terms of ones body, of losing pounds, what is better? A longer workout? Or a shorter one?

I've been trying since school started (since I got gym access when it did), to go everyday. I've gone at least 6 times a week since school started, did miss 2 days this past weekend as I was sick.

Are more days better, or should you have rest days?

Replies

  • FirecrackerJess
    FirecrackerJess Posts: 276 Member
    Bump
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Generally speaking, it is the intensity of the workout and not necessarily the duration that determines the calorie burn. For example, you burn approximately the same amount of calories in a one mile walk as you do a one mile run, but because it takes longer to do the walk than the run, you can run more miles in the same amount of time and thus burn more calories.

    I recommend doing your workouts as intensely as possible for as long as possible. If that means only going 30-45 minutes as opposed to 60-75 minutes, then so be it. I would much prefer doing a shorter workout that burns the same calories as a longer workout and having more free time in the day.

    And you should have rest days. Your body needs to recover and repair itself after a workout, or else you will get fatigued more easily and are more prone to injury and sickness.
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
    Generally speaking, it is the intensity of the workout and not necessarily the duration that determines the calorie burn. For example, you burn approximately the same amount of calories in a one mile walk as you do a one mile run, but because it takes longer to do the walk than the run, you can run more miles in the same amount of time and thus burn more calories.

    I recommend doing your workouts as intensely as possible for as long as possible. If that means only going 30-45 minutes as opposed to 60-75 minutes, then so be it. I would much prefer doing a shorter workout that burns the same calories as a longer workout and having more free time in the day.

    And you should have rest days. Your body needs to recover and repair itself after a workout, or else you will get fatigued more easily and are more prone to injury and sickness.


    This ^^^
  • FirecrackerJess
    FirecrackerJess Posts: 276 Member
    Thank you. I was thinking of a 2 day on 1 day off routine? Instead of trying to get to the gym everyday cause its killing me in gas and I can feel my body sometimes resisting, some days its soo hard to get myself there.

    I've been focusing on using the Elliptical right now, as it burns more calories for me than the treadmill. I was thinking on the off days, just use my Kinect workout games a bit.
  • shelleycolton
    shelleycolton Posts: 400 Member
    Do what you enjoy, your much more likely to keep it going in the long run.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    I've been trying to consolidate my time, but my shorter gym days are 90 minutes of lifting and 10 minutes of cardio.. this morning some reason I went back to my old 2.5+ hour gym session.

    The time involved has nothing to do with what you're doing in the gym. It's personal preference.
  • Scheerske
    Scheerske Posts: 5
    I believe it is more fun and effective to do HIT workouts.

    This way I lost 25 kg (+50 pound) in 5 months.

    http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa112701a.htm
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Personally, I am more interested in the direct effect my exercise has on my body (gaining strength, changing the look of it) rather than burning calories, so I prefer to do shorter, more intense workouts 3-4 days a week and have true rest time in between, rather than work out 5-6 days a week and burn more calories.

    If your current workout routine is too taxing on your body or schedule (it sounds like it might be from your last post), then take it down a step and add in more rest days rather than longer workouts.

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