Tag Archives: training

Choosing exercise to suit you

For many, exercise can be hard work.  Both finding the time to do it in the first place and of course the activity itself.  Something worth considering is whether you are choosing the rights types of exercise for you.  Here we will explain more.

 

Step 1: Find something that suits your time

An 2 hour round trip to the gym when you have a busy schedule is near on impossible so find something that works for you.  Many of us are strapped for time, but at some point you have to prioritize training into your schedule.  We sometimes look at recommending 45 minute blaster sessions which can easily be done before work or on a lunch break.   

Step 2: The right types of exercise

This may sound obvious but it’s worth looking at closely.  First of all your goals will dictate what types of exercise you choose.  If you need specific muscle groups or specific fitness then the right types of training need to be applied.

The other aspect is your personality.  Get bored easily?..mix your activities and routine.  Prefer to be outdoors?..try running cross country, water sports or other outdoor activities.

Conclusion

Fitting training into our life is essential to results, so it has to be something that works for us.  The type of exercise we do will also be key to consistency as well as results.


Fitness Basics : How often to exercise

As with everything there are differing opinions on what works best.  Here we will try and cover what works with frequency of exercise.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommend 30 minutes 5 times per week.  But how often we need to exercise really depends on the results we are looking for, age and  training experience.  A 20 year old triathlete would certainly be looking to do more than a 65 year old retiree.

When we exercise we overload the body, making it become fitter or stronger in the following hours of recovery.  This time differs, but recovery time is generally considered to be 36 to 48 hours which ties in nicely with the general approach of training 3-4 times per week.

The all important factor is intensity (see other articles).  Harder sessions will overload the body more and require more recovery. Our work and personal lives often dictate exercise frequency as well.  The outine however is fairly clear…

Want serious results?  Train 4 or even 5 times a week!

Struggling for time and energy? Not that serious?  Exercise twice a week is clearly better than none at all and you will realize some results.

Simon Lesser works as a Personal Trainer in  Bournemouth and Poole, Dorset.  See more info at www.simonlesser.co.uk.