Okay, real talk. How many days do you train each week? According to a recent poll taken by The list19.37% of people exercise five times or more each week; 22.51% of people exercise three days a week; 20% of them elaborate two days a week; 11.17% sweat once a week and 15% of people don’t bother to exercise. For those die-hard exercise enthusiasts in the 19.37% “five or more times a week” category, have you ever wondered what happens to your body when you exercise seven days a week? It is too much exercise?
we chat with Dr Mike Bohl, Ro’s Director of Medical Content and Education and a certified personal trainer, and what he has to say may surprise you. Read on to learn more.
Dr. Bohl tells us: “Exercising seven days a week isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it can be a great way to stay active and healthy. However, the important thing to avoid is overtraining and exercising in the same groups.” muscles too close together. He adds: “The general rule of thumb is that you should wait at least 48 hours before training the same muscle groups. This gives the muscles time to recover and repair themselves.” So, keep doing whatever you’re doing, just make sure you do it right!
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Improved endurance is a beneficial side effect of exercising seven days a week. An example of how to improve your endurance is jogging at a moderate pace for a certain amount of time each day. It will start to get easier, allowing you to run faster and/or for a longer distance. Keep in mind, though, that if you’re sore after a day of cardio, it makes sense to take a day off.
Dr. Bohl notes, “One of the best things about exercising every day is that it gives you so many opportunities to add variety to your exercise routine. Exercise isn’t just about lifting weights or running, there are many other types of exercise.” physical activity, such as flexibility training, balance training, plyometrics, and speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) training, to name a few.
The bottom line? If you like to exercise often, you can set up your week to focus on something new every day. “If you prefer to stick to one type of exercise, like lifting weights, one tip is to do split training,” suggests Dr. Bohl, adding, “Split training is when you exercise different muscle groups on different days, rather than working all muscle groups every day For example, with split training, one day can be dedicated to chest and shoulders, one day can be dedicated to back and biceps, and one day can be dedicated to legs and core … training allows you to lift weights every day while giving each muscle group adequate time to recover.”
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Now you knew this was coming, but you have to learn the good along with the bad. Overtraining is the biggest negative effect of exercising every day. By exercising too intensely and too often, you’re not giving your muscles adequate time to recover and heal. This can lead to fatigue, muscle injury, and ultimately decreased performance. One of the caveats to working out seven days a week? It is possible to completely tire yourself out and burn out.
Regardless of how many days you choose to exercise each week, Dr. Bohl emphasizes the importance of a good warm-up period, a time when it’s crucial to get your heart rate up and your muscles ready. Dr. Bohl recommends: “To get your heart rate up, do five to 10 minutes of cardio. And to get your muscles ready, do dynamic stretches. Unlike static stretching, which involves holding stretches for a period of time, dynamic stretching involves movement and prepares the muscles for activation. Another great addition to your warm-up regimen is to add foam roller exercises.
The time after you complete your workout is known as the cool down period. This is also something to factor into your exercise time, no matter how many days a week you decide to sweat. This is a time to slow your heart rate and help your muscles return to their typical resting states. Dr. Bohl notes: “If you’re doing cardio, such as running, gradually slow down until you’re back to a comfortable state (such as walking). It’s also recommended to finish a workout with static stretching exercises and foam rollers to decrease pain.” and improve recovery.
alexa mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Associate Editor for Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel, and providing readers with engaging topics on fitness, wellness, and personal care. read more
