Okay, real talk. How many days do you work out each week? According to a recent survey taken by The List, 19.37% of people exercise five times or more every week; 22.51% of people exercise three days each week; 20% of them work out two days per week; 11.17% get in a sweat session one time each week, and 15% of individuals don't bother exercising at all. For those diehard workout enthusiasts within the 19.37% "five times or more every week" category, do you ever wonder what happens to your body when you work out seven days a week? Is it too much of a workout?
We chatted with Dr. Mike Bohl, the Director of Medical Content & Education at Ro and a certified personal trainer, and what he has to say may surprise you. Keep reading to learn more.
Working out seven days a week can actually be an amazing way to keep active and healthy.
Dr. Bohl tells us, "Working out seven days a week isn't necessarily a bad thing—in fact, it can be a great way to stay active and healthy. The important thing to avoid, though, is overtraining and working out the same muscle groups 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, continue doing whatever it is you're doing—just be sure you are doing it right!
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There really are great benefits to working out every day of the week.
Improved endurance is a beneficial side effect if you workout seven days a week. An example of bettering your endurance is jogging at a moderate pace for a certain amount of time each day. It will begin to get easier, enabling you to run faster and/or for a longer distance. Note, though, that if you are hurting after one day of cardio, it makes sense to take a day off.
If you enjoy working out often, you can set up your week to focus on something different each day.
Dr. Bohl points out, "One of the great things about working out every day is that it gives you lots of opportunities to add variety to your workout routine. Working out isn't just about lifting weights or running—there are lots of other types of physical activity, like flexibility training, balance training, plyometrics, and speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) training, to name a few."
The bottom line? If you enjoy working out often, you can set up your week to focus on something fresh every day. "If you prefer to stick to one type of working out, like lifting weights, one tip is to do split training," Dr. Bohl suggests, adding, "Split training is when you work out different muscle groups on different days, rather than working out every muscle group every day. For example, with split training, one day may be dedicated to the chest and shoulders, one day may be dedicated to the back and biceps, and one day may be dedicated to the legs and core. Split training allows you to lift weights every day while still giving each muscle group adequate time to recover."
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There are also negatives to working out seven days a week, like fatigue and injury.
Now you knew this was coming, but you have to learn the good along with the bad. Overtraining is the biggest negative effect of working out every single day. By working out too intensely and too often, you're not allowing your muscles proper time to recover and heal. This can result in fatigue, muscle injury, and ultimately decreased performance. One of the caveats to working out seven days each week? It's possible to completely tire yourself and burn out.
However many days you work out, stick to a solid warm-up period.
Regardless of how many days you choose to work out each week, Dr. Bohl stresses the importance of a good warm-up period, a time when it's crucial to get your heart rate up and prep your muscles. Dr. Bohl recommends, "To get your heart rate up, do five to 10 minutes of cardio. And to prepare your muscles, 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 adding foam rolling exercises.
Cooling down is a crucial part of each workout, too.
The time after you complete your workout is known as the cool-down period. This, too, is something you should factor into your exercise time—no matter how many days each week you decide to get your sweat on. This is a time to lower your heart rate and help your muscles return to their typical resting states. Dr. Bohl points out, "If you're doing cardio, like running, gradually decrease the speed until you've returned to a comfortable state (like walking). Ending a workout with static stretching and foam rolling exercises is also recommended to decrease soreness and enhance recovery."
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers.Read more about Alexa
Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise sends oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.
Conclusion. If you have time to train every day, and enjoy spending time in the gym - then a seven-day workout program may be worth pursuing. It's important to always listen to your body, and manage the intensities at which you train.
Working out 7 days a week is actually ok, what's bad is overworking your muscles, causing them fatigue and a lot of stress. Your muscles need time to recover. Working out 7 days a week may be bad for your muscles because you are not giving your muscles time to recover.
Those noticeable physical changes from exercise (be it muscle growth, fat loss, or a lower resting heart rate) depends on the person and their baseline level of fitness. "My [clients] generally see initial changes within four to six weeks, and actual results within eight to 12 weeks," Wilson explains.
Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.
Living in this constant state of “busy” and never truly taking a break can lead to career burnout, feelings of being overwhelmed and even leaving the industry entirely. Avoiding a seven-day workweek may seem impossible at times, as clients' needs and demands don't fall into a regimented schedule.
And if you exercise regularly, over time you will gain even more fitness benefits. “At 6 to 8 weeks, you can definitely notice some changes,” said Logie, “and in 3 to 4 months you can do a pretty good overhaul to your health and fitness.” Strength-specific results take about the same amount of time.
The answer depends on your goals—whether you are improving your cardio, gaining muscle, or losing weight—and your fitness level. For example, people who are new to working out will typically see cardio and muscle gain within two to four weeks. In contrast, significant fat loss might take around four months or longer.
The short answer is no. While there are many benefits to strength training, including building stronger bones and muscles and maintaining a healthy weight, you shouldn't lift weights every day. “The science for strength training is that two to three days per week is the best dose for most people.
Researchers found that the amount of exercise you get has a direct dose relationship to your heart health — the more you get, the healthier your heart will be — and they suggest two full hours a day of moderate exercise should be the new goal.
In general, though, weight loss can be delineated into three stages: rapid weight loss, gradual weight loss, and maintenance. The length of each stage depends on the individual, Michelle Routhenstein, R.D., preventive cardiology dietitian says.
There is no quick fix to body fat. You will need at least four to eight weeks to notice toned muscles. For this, you will also need to follow the right strategy and do exercises for toned body. Your sex, diet, and metabolism also play a vital role in your progress.
Different factors, such as a sedentary lifestyle, hormones, and the foods you eat may increase your abdominal fat. This can include not consuming too much sugar and not enough fiber and protein. Getting rid of excess belly fat, or abdominal fat, is a common goal for many.
Improved endurance: If you are able to perform exercises like squats or lunges for a longer period of time, it is likely that your leg muscles are getting stronger. Improved flexibility: Increased strength in the leg muscles often results in improved flexibility in the hips, knees and ankles.
As a rough guide, you'll probably notice some initial changes in the first four to six weeks, but longer-term changes (what you're working toward) will often take around eight to 12 weeks. The good news is that you're likely to start feeling better quickly.
“If all you do is walk briskly for 30 minutes, you've burned just 200 calories. Since 3,500 calories is a pound of fat, you'd need 17.5 days to lose one single pound. At most, you'd be losing two pounds a month.
Hence, these must not be attempted daily. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends full-body workout two times a week for beginners and about three-four times a week for seasoned trainers. You can alternate a full-body workout with treadmill, bicycling, and cross training for a good training plan.
Are you trying to lose weight, build muscle mass or just stay healthy? The general rule of thumb is that you should be working out at the gym 3-5 times per week, with each session lasting between 45 minutes to an hour. However, if you're just starting out, it's important to ease into things and not overdo it.
Introduction: My name is Geoffrey Lueilwitz, I am a zealous, encouraging, sparkling, enchanting, graceful, faithful, nice person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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