How often?

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fteale
fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How often do you need to exercise? I get the impression once a week is a bit pointless, or can you get fitter just doing something once a week (I mean hard exercise, not going for a walk). So what is the optimum number of sessions a week?

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  • CWolfs
    CWolfs Posts: 2
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    At the moment I'm going for three sessions a week. I used to do that a few years ago and it worked pretty well. I'm doing lots of cardio at the moment but I need to improve on my muscle exercises. When I exercise I exercise hard. I've never really been a 'take a book to the gym' sort of person.

    Basically Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for me. I find it was worth letting my muscles rest.
  • xSmileyLeighx
    xSmileyLeighx Posts: 14
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    I exercise 3-4 times a week :)
  • lloydrt
    lloydrt Posts: 1,121 Member
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    fteale, I exercise 6 days a week, from 1.5. to 2.5 hours a session. I do cardio 4 times, and 2 - 3 times with intermintant weight strength training

    also, for me, I like the cardio best, I really lost plenty of fat on my waist using a PreCor 100 Eliptical with reciprical arms, I put the resistance all the way up now, I think thats what really helped take off the fat from my waist. I went from a 52 inch waist to a 34 inch waist , which is norm for a man my age

    also, I can breathe so much better, with out all my excess fat. I originally had exercise induced asthma, but now its in my past. I dont use my bronchiodialator anymore, hurray and am off high blood pressure med. I had higher numbers, so for a while I took a pill, but its not necessary....

    the exercise helped, actually, it saved my life........I still need to lose about 20 lbs or so, but I see light at the end of the tunnel...Finally

    best wishes, Lloyd
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I normally aim for 4 a week, but started doing the 30 day shred as well, and found it too much on top of my existing routine. At the moment I am at 2 (school holidays), and feel so lazy! Though I quite like it.......
  • bunnysone
    bunnysone Posts: 486 Member
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    think of training your body is like training a pet.

    If you exercise once a week you will not get the benefit, it will be harder and more frustrating.

    If you do something positive towards your training EVERY DAY - even if a couple of those days are walks, you are training your body to be active and accept the changes that will inevitably happen, like increased cardio fitness and weight loss.

    To get the optimum results, you need to dedicate around 3 sessions a week to something challenging, preferably mixing up what you do, not just jumping on the elliptical every time you go to the gym, and also mixing strength training into your week.
  • arp1217
    arp1217 Posts: 38 Member
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    3 times a week including cardio workout and 1-2 times a week of strength training is a good amount of working out. but make sure you space out your strength training to let your muscles recover.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I go five days a week. Three days I do a 30 minute cardio/strength training circuit plus 30 minutes of cardio, and the alternating two days I do 45-60 minutes of cardio.

    Honestly, something is better than nothing, but 3-5 days a week of cardio and strength training will strengthen your heart and lungs along with your muscles.

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