One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a personal trainer is how to create the best "fitness routine" or "exercise schedule" for a person. With information overload coming from online fitness enthusiasts everywhere, it can seem like a daunting task to create a fitness routine that works best for your life. There are so many different types of exercise to get into today, between pilates, hot yoga, high intensity interval training, spinning-- you name it! It's understandable to not know where to start or now often to partake in each activity.
I remember learning in college about the general recommendations for frequency and duration for each type of exercise (aerobic, strength training, stretching, etc.). When we added up how often people should be participating in each modality, it seemed like it was a full time job to be hitting the assigned amount! As if our lives aren't busy enough. Today when my clients ask me what a well-rounded fitness routine should look like, here are some general guidelines I have them follow:
To start, there is no "perfect" fitness routine. Everybody's fitness routine is going to look a little different based on their own specific goals, needs, and lifestyle. So stop comparing. Obviously that's a good rule to go by in general for life, but especially when it comes to fitness. You have to know what you are capable of and be honest with yourself about what you want out of a fitness routine. This means: how many days can you realistically commit to exercising per week? What's a reasonable place to start with this (you can always add more, but too much at first can actually be detrimental to sustaining the routine)? Does it make more sense to work out at home or do you prefer to get out of the house and go somewhere? Do you need to do it alone, with a buddy, or the help of a trainer? All of these questions (and more to ponder) are the foundational blocks of what your program will look like, and should align with your values and the time you are able commit.
Here is what I generally recommend for strength training and cardio: 2-3 days/week of strength training. I utilize full body workouts with my clients to maximize muscle groups hit/week. I also think they're more fun & functional, get the heart rate up, & recruit more muscle fibers. I recommend full body workouts especially if your time is limited-- its efficient and gives you the most bang for your buck. Also, make sure you take a day off in between your strength training days (avoid consecutive days) to allow your muscles to rest, recover, and grow. For cardio, I really like to stick to the ACSM recommendations here for heart benefits and shoot for 150min/week of moderate aerobic activity. This typically breaks down to 5 days/week of 30-minute sessions (again, you can break it up even further to two 15-minute walks in your day!). This is a great number to shoot for, but start with 3 days per week of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, then work your way up overtime. Activities like high intensity interval training and spinning classes would be considered vigorous cardio, so you would actually only need 75 min/week of these activities (again, more bang for your buck!). A good mix of vigorous and moderate cardio is ideal to mix it up and work your different energy systems.
This one is important-- what would be fun for you? Now I know, sometimes exercise gets a bad rap for not being very fun. However, when did we as adults stop allowing it to be fun? Exercise should be fun & enjoyed & feel like pure joy, like it did when you were a kid. Think about running and playing games as a kid and laughing with friends. Now, I can't promise it will all be fun. In order to get results and feel good, sometimes the exercise part is hard work and tough. But it is important to have some outlet of fun incorporated into your exercise plan (especially for cardio!). Who says you can't pick up a new sport (tennis, anyone?) or even take up salsa dancing. One day a week you should really try to do some kind of aerobic activity that brings you joy. The options are endless: gardening, cross-country skiing, tap dancing, golfing, hiking, swimming, kickboxing... the list goes on! Find an activity that you truly enjoy and make sure to incorporate it into your routine at least once a week.
So... what about stretching? This last month I've been incorporating a lot more stretching into my clients' programs. Between everyones' swamped summer schedules and stress from the pandemic, this has left many with tight muscles aching for relief. Stretching gets the back burner a lot in fitness programs, but it is so important for mobility and feeling good! Yoga classes can be great for stretching and strength, but if yoga isn't your thing, try to stretch for even just 15 minutes after a walk or strength workout. Just like with lifting, try to stretch all of your major muscle groups to a point of slight discomfort (never pain).
Once you have sat down and factored in everything from above, take a breath, and in general, try to shoot for 3-5 days/week of structured exercise. Sprinkle in some daily movement (short walks), and take advantage of activities that require movement that you actually enjoy doing. My best advice is find a way to make it fun (or at least something you don't hate). It will not look perfect every week. Even as a trainer, I don't follow a specific plan every week. I try to lift at least 2 days, get plenty of walking/movement in, and then do some fun movement/sports along the way. Our busy lives can get crazy, but prioritizing exercise will make you feel so much better and make your life enjoyable & healthier.
As always, feel free to reach out with questions via our email or site :-).
Stay strong,
Maresa Bowen
ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologist & Personal Trainer
Owner Well Built Wellness, LLC
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