fitness, working out, men’s health Man working out, image: Pexels
When we make the decision to start playing sports to stay in shape, a big question arises: how much exercise we should do per week. Sometimes we make the mistake of getting too obsessed and thinking that a day without training is a day wasted. But nothing to see. We have to keep in mind that no one has the time (and, let's be honest, the desire) to spend every day of their life training.
We all have responsibilities beyond our training: jobs, family, friends, personal projects and the need to entertain ourselves. Balancing all this is not easy and, sometimes, it seems that it is impossible to achieve everything. There will be days when we can train for an hour and a half; others that only 45 minutes; and others, in which it will be impossible for us to do any type of exercise. And nothing happens.
Of course we must keep in mind that, to be healthy, we must train several times a week, but we should not torture ourselves if we do not always reach that minimum. Training will help us feel better physically and mentally, in addition to preventing diseases.
To obtain these benefits, there is a minimum of exercise that we must do. But how much is this? There are different options set by most international health-related organizations, such as the WHO:
Between 75 and 150 minutes of intense exercise. The one in which we cannot even articulate a word and our heart rate is at 80% of its maximum.
Between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate activity; That is, it is 60-70% of the maximum.
Of course we can adapt this to our preferences, and combine both intense and moderate exercise. We just have to keep in mind that every two minutes of moderate exercise is equivalent to one minute of high intensity exercise.
This exercise should not only be cardiovascular, but we must keep in mind that strength training is essential to stay in shape and enjoy good health . It is necessary to practice it at least twice a week. It will help us strengthen our muscles and bones , as well as improve our mobility. Something fundamental as we get older.
What is the most effective strategy to work on different aspects of our fitness? Do it in the same sessions through hybrid training, which includes both cardio and strength.
We will do it by taking lighter weights, but incorporating more repetitions or higher intensities to accelerate our heart rate while gaining muscle. In addition, we must add compound exercises that work different muscles in the body at the same time.
This type of training will help us save time, without having to compromise our progress or our muscle gains. Some exercises can be squats , lunges, burpees, devil's press...
It's very simple: nothing happens. Unless we have very specific performance goals, it is not necessary to compensate for training; That is, if we haven't exercised one day, we won't have to do twice as much the next day. That mentality will not be healthy for our body or our mind.
What we must ensure is that this does not become a habit. Normally we make the mistake that, if we have missed the gym one day, we continue to chain several without going. And, although this is normal in weeks when we are very busy, it should not become our routine. If the week has been very stressful, we can also do sports during the weekend and obtain the same benefits.
Our motivation will not be linear either and we will surely have times when we train much less, but any type of exercise, no matter how short, will be good for us. Sometimes, it is not necessary to spend hours lifting weights, and what we need is simply to go for a run, a walk, play a game of paddle tennis with friends, dance in the living room, or practice a calmer discipline such as Pilates or yoga.
In the end, the most important thing will be to create our own definition of fitness. The one in which exercise is not torture or punishment, but something that we enjoy and that makes us feel better , both inside and out. As long as we practice the minimum amount of exercise recommended by the WHO most weeks, it will be enough.
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