Opinion for those who "workout" more than once a day

snemberton
snemberton Posts: 175 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So for about a month and a half, my active exercise time has been spent like this.
Monday and Tuesday at lunch 40 minutes cardio (rowing, elliptical, stationary bike)
Wednesday hour session with trainer - (free weights and cardio combo session like baby crossfit)
Thursday and Friday are pretty much the same as Monday and Tuesday.
Saturday another hour session with trainer
Sunday - hour of light yoga

Desk job at home, but I'm up and down my stairs all day and doing things around the house during breaks and after work.

I'm working to incorporate 15-20 minutes of stretching into my evening tv time each night. I'm likely going to start switching out one of my cardio days to be a slightly shorter workout similar to what I do with my trainer, probably on Mondays.

Overall goals. I'm 40 and 5'8". I started at 217 back in April. I'm down to 208 as of this morning. Trying to get down to 150-160, mainly going to see how my body looks at that weight again to decide how much more I may or may not need to lose then. Calories are set at 1800 before exercise and I eat back a decent amount of them, probably average of 2000 a day. Per Apple Health, my total active and resting calories per day average around 2600. (Including both intentional and just normal activity. I wear my watch from the time I get up until I go to bed.) Weight loss seems to line up decently to those numbers averaged over the time frame.

I'm not super accurate about weighing things, so my calorie counts are maybe 100-200 calories off in a given day (either direction too, as I'll over estimate the seeing size in MFP on purpose when it comes to sweets or junk food.) I'll tighten up logging if I feel my weight loss isn't progressing ok, but I'm pleased so far and I have been quite happy with my food amounts each day.

So because of vacation stuff, I won't see my trainer to ask his opinion for a bit, so I thought I'd get the views of this group. I'm thinking about incorporating a morning walk/light jog or bike ride in a few mornings a week. Nothing strenuous, but another 100 or so calories that I won't eat back. Mainly to give me a little more buffer with logging and maybe give a slightly larger overall deficit. I'd honestly rather exercise a little more than eat less, as I don't want to make food more of a hassle, nor do I really want to eat less. (I like food!!)

I know several people on here do more than one workout session a day. How long into getting into shape did you wait before doing that? I'd increase my cardio sessions to longer, but those are during my lunch break, hence wanting to do the extra before work in the morning. I feel good and much stronger. DOMS are less problematic now after my sessions with the trainer, only slightly sore the day after. Not sore at all anymore after cardio.

Replies

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    A walk shouldn’t hurt. You are the best judge of what your body can handle.
  • MiniMansell1964
    MiniMansell1964 Posts: 188 Member
    I am a mountain bike coach and a snowboard instuctor
    i often coach both in the same day so end up with 2 3 or 4 hour workouts.
    leaves me in such a calorie deficit i have to be very careful.
  • cleesus
    cleesus Posts: 87 Member
    I have been working out multiple times a day for years, either some cardio in the morning or evening with resistance training at another time of day. Some times I do resistance twice. Whenever you start to do it, just ease your way into it because you dont want over work yourself.

    Something like walking or some light cycling in the morning shouldn't have a negative effect on you or your other exercises.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,611 Member
    I walk as part of my commute in the morning and at night ... and again at lunch. Lunch's walk could be a casual 60 minute stroll or a brisk 2 km walk ... or a really brisk 6 km walk ... or something in between.

    Then I usually try to do something in the evenings as well ... a walk or bicycle ride or lately I've been doing about half an hour on my trainer (bicycle on device that holds it in place so I can ride inside).

    Lately on weekends I try for a run earlier in the day, plus cycling inside in the evening, and walks in between.

    But then I've been exercising regularly since I could walk ... so it feels normal to me.

    So sure ... add something in and see how it goes. If you find yourself extra tired, ease back a bit. Last week, for example, I dropped the cycling inside for a few days because I had a large assignment due for my university course and just couldn't fit it all into my day and still get some sleep at night. This week, so far, I've been able to add the cycling back in. So you can be flexible that way. :)
  • jayemes
    jayemes Posts: 865 Member
    I workout more than once a day usually a couple of times a week. I'd just tell you to watch your appetite if you start doing more cardio. I know increased exercise tends to up my hangries and I wind up eat disproportionately more than the extra calories I'm burning
  • 0ysterboy
    0ysterboy Posts: 192 Member
    If I have the time I add in a 20-30 min run in the morning when I can. As shred indicates, it really helps push the calorie deficit. adding in a walk should not be difficult, you could build to running with c25k.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    A few years ago I'd run a couple miles in the morning, then either gym or run at lunch, then a couple times a week run at night. IMHO you could do it anytime post c25k vintage, AS LONG AS YOU DON'T INCREASE MORE THAN 10% total training volume a week.

    A split up my runs as I didn't get home from work until it was too late to spend quality kid time and run and eat
  • mkculs
    mkculs Posts: 316 Member
    If the walk is pleasant and fits in, great. It is a lovely way to start your day. Stop if it starts to feel like a burden, b/c you are already doing enough and those 100 cals/day either way won't change a slow, steady loss if you are in a deficit anyway.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    jayemes wrote: »
    I workout more than once a day usually a couple of times a week. I'd just tell you to watch your appetite if you start doing more cardio. I know increased exercise tends to up my hangries and I wind up eat disproportionately more than the extra calories I'm burning

    See while I'd still say watch your Calories, I'm the opposite and find that intense cardio surpresses my appetite and I have to work to make sure I eat enough.

    I work out 2+ times a day 5 days a week (4x on 3 of those days) and 1-2 times a day at weekends, I try to eat as close to what my Fitbit gives me as possible as I need to fuel my activity, which includes walking, but I don't actually count walking separately, that's all included in my total. I wouldn't necessarily recommend my activity level to anybody, but it's what I enjoy and as I've built up to it slowly my body can cope with it (I still make sure I get 24 hours active recovery in every week). Just make sure you eat enough to fuel the activity and if you start to find recovery hindered then cut back.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    I suspect there are two issues here:
    Is the extra workout going to lead to stress injuries?
    And, is working out that much more going to lead to increased hunger that will make it hard for you to maintain your calorie deficit?
    Both are legitimate concerns.
    No one can answer that for you. But, if you are not having soreness or injuries now, and you enjoy working out, try it and see how it goes.
    The main thing is: Do you enjoy your workouts? If you do, you should be good. If your workouts are a chore for you, something you do just to lose weight, you might find your motivation wane as the workout hours and the fatigue start to add up.
    Be careful with that. Exercise is a long-term commitment. It's a habit you develop -- not something you adopt for a few months to shrink a waistline. That does not work.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    I agree with most of what's already been said here, but would add:

    You might consider phasing in the added activity a day at a time (one day the first week, see how it goes, etc.).

    And I wouldn't suggest sacrificing any needed sleep to fit in more workouts. Sleep is an important part of both fitness and weight loss.

    Also, since you're talking about adding this activity for a buffer (not eating it back), watch your actual average weekly loss rate, and don't let that get too steep (keep it less than 1% of body weight weekly, as a general rule of thumb).
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    Depends on what you are accustomed to and how difficult the workouts for you are. I workout twice a day. I go for my run and resistance training (muscle maintenance while losing weight) in the morning, it's fairly intense for me. I talk a walk every evening to clear my head before bed.

    So long as you don't overwork yourself and risk injury, there's nothing wrong with multiple workouts a day.
  • wutaday1
    wutaday1 Posts: 45 Member
    I was actually thinking of incorporating two workouts in a day soon. I plan on either walking or cycling first thing in the morning before my kids get up. Then later in the morning on my days off of work which is between two to three weekdays depending on the week I was going to add on Yoga, Pilates or strength training depending on the day and the week. That is if I get myself out of bed early enough.... (Just not a morning person, get plenty of sleep at night)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I can't imagine walking would be detrimental to anything unless you were seriously out of shape in which case I would say walking should be the starting point anyway.

    I don't even think about it or think of it as a "workout", but I walk my dog most days either in the morning or when I get home from work and get 8-12K steps per day depending on how much I'm moving at work, and still do my cycling and lifting without issue.
  • flowerhorsey
    flowerhorsey Posts: 154 Member
    I don't think of walking as a workout...I usually walk our dog for about 2-3 miles a day and lift weights 5-6 times a week. I have done walking and running and biking my entire adult life but only lifting for the past year. Lifting weights with progressive overload along with the food logging/and measuring is what has changed my shape and size.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    flowerhorsey wrote: »
    I don't think of walking as a workout...I usually walk our dog for about 2-3 miles a day and lift weights 5-6 times a week. I have done walking and running and biking my entire adult life but only lifting for the past year. Lifting weights with progressive overload along with the food logging/and measuring is what has changed my shape and size.

    I'm in agreement here. I do a lot of doubles...I lift 4x a week, run 3-4x a week, do crossfit 2-3× a week, while working out 5-6 days a week total. In addition, I also walk about 5 miles a day, which I don't count as exercise. If you add in additional walking, I'm sure you'll be fine.
  • pinksunnyrose
    pinksunnyrose Posts: 453 Member
    I split my daily steps into several shorter walks per day. It seems to be working for me, I’m losing weight and looking more toned.
  • flowerhorsey
    flowerhorsey Posts: 154 Member
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    flowerhorsey wrote: »
    I don't think of walking as a workout...I usually walk our dog for about 2-3 miles a day and lift weights 5-6 times a week. I have done walking and running and biking my entire adult life but only lifting for the past year. Lifting weights with progressive overload along with the food logging/and measuring is what has changed my shape and size.

    I'm in agreement here. I do a lot of doubles...I lift 4x a week, run 3-4x a week, do crossfit 2-3× a week, while working out 5-6 days a week total. In addition, I also walk about 5 miles a day, which I don't count as exercise. If you add in additional walking, I'm sure you'll be fine.

    You are a busy lady!!
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    flowerhorsey wrote: »
    Davidsdottir wrote: »
    flowerhorsey wrote: »
    I don't think of walking as a workout...I usually walk our dog for about 2-3 miles a day and lift weights 5-6 times a week. I have done walking and running and biking my entire adult life but only lifting for the past year. Lifting weights with progressive overload along with the food logging/and measuring is what has changed my shape and size.

    I'm in agreement here. I do a lot of doubles...I lift 4x a week, run 3-4x a week, do crossfit 2-3× a week, while working out 5-6 days a week total. In addition, I also walk about 5 miles a day, which I don't count as exercise. If you add in additional walking, I'm sure you'll be fine.

    You are a busy lady!!

    I'd go with insane

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