011 Minimum exercise recommendation
Cirencester Personal Trainer.
I don’t have enough time to exercise, this is something we as personal trainers hear on a regular basis and it is just not true. Most people overthink the amount of training they actually need to do to make progress; this is proven by the ACSM (American College Of Sports Medicine) minimum guidelines for exercise and healthy activity.
Cardiovascular.
At least 30 minutes of moderate (raised heart rate and increased breathing but you could still hold a conversation e.g. walking) intensity activity on five days per week.
Or.
At least 30 minutes of vigorous (substantial increase in heart rate and rapid breathing e.g. jogging) intensity activity on three days per week.
A mix of intensities and durations is recommended, such that a variety of activities can be performed in order to achieve the appropriate volume, but remember this doesn’t always have to be structured in gym exercise, the walk to work is still included.
Muscular Resistance or strength training.
Perform a minimum of 8-10 strength training exercises, which train the major muscle groups, at least 2-3 times per week. On each exercise, perform one set of 8-12 repetitions to fatigue.
Again given the above information, lets say each exercise takes around 1 minute to perform and you decide to take 1 minute recovery after each set, it would in total take a maximum of 20 minutes, but don’t forget these exercises don’t have to be done within a gym, they could easily be performed at home with minimal equipment or even just bodyweight.
Flexibility.
ACSM guidelines for flexibility advise to perform stretches for all major muscle groups a minimum of 2-3 days per week, but ideally 5-7 days per week. Each stretch should be performed statically and held to mild discomfort for 15-30 seconds. The stretch can be repeated three to four times.
Be sure to warm up before performing any stretches, and focus special attention on any muscles that have reduced range of motion.
Remember this is all a minimum recommendation; any additional training is likely to elicit further gains in fitness.
So with all of the above information taken into consideration, next time you think that you don’t have enough time to train maybe think again.
Enjoy.
Refer a friend - Introduce a friend to Apex Athletic and as a thank you for your recommendation you will receive one 1:1 personal training session. Terms and conditions apply.
Apex Athletic - Unit 7
Esland Place - Love Lane
Cirencester - GL7 1YG
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