How Many Hours You Should Exercise a Day

One of the most frequently asked questions from users is: “how many hours I should exercise a day.” When people ask the question, they usually expect an answer that will free them from long aerobic workouts. In fact, the recent trend is to do shorter workouts to lose weight. But this fad may not work if you are trying to lose weight, or if you are just trying to improve your fitness.

The best method of determining how long to workout should not be based on trends. Of course, you can always (and should) include short workouts in your exercise program. But you will need to do cardiovascular exercises that last a little longer. For workout preparation or recovery without sweating, just have a look at light therapy for fitness. You can enroll in your local gym and use their personal trainer business software. This way you’ll have a professional instructor to guide you with your workouts.

In this article, we will provide an estimation of exercise hours based on various workout goals.

How Long You Should Exercise a Day

Whether you want to lose weight, strengthen bones and muscles, fight anxiety and depression, improve memory, or enhance endurance, exercise can help. However, depending on your goals, some types of exercises work better and need more hours than others.

If you want to strengthen bone health, you need to do some type of resistance training like weight lifting. For rapid advances in speed or strength, a high-intensity interval program may be preferable. For improving brain health, aerobic exercise could be beneficial. For fighting anxiety or recovering injury, red light therapy works well.

Experts recommend that the average person sticks to existing public health guidelines. It suggests that children and teens exercise for half an hour a day. And adults exercise one hour of moderate-intensity (such as walking, gardening, dancing,) or 30 minutes of energetic activity (jogging, running, aerobic dancing, and jumping rope) a day.

Some benefits are visible in minutes, while others can take months or years. For sustainable improvement, consistency is the key. People see the most significant advantage if they train regularly all over their lives.

However, any kind of activity can work for you and count as exercise. Take the elevator up the stairs, walk a mile to the store instead of driving, or go and help a friend get around on the weekends. It is good for your body and your brain. Here we found exercise hours for different workout types.

HIIT Training (20-30 minutes)

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) should be short. Why? Because your body just can’t work very hard for a long time. If you find that you can do high-intensity exercise for an hour or more, you are probably not working hard enough.

HIIT workouts should last 20 to 30 minutes and be very hard. However, keep in mind that you burn more calories from COPD (excessive oxygen consumption after exercise), also known as “afterburner”, if you structure high-intensity workouts correctly.

Measure the intensity of the exercise with a heart rate monitor and make sure you reach your target heart rate for the session. If you are well-rested at the start of training, you will find it easier to work hard enough to achieve this goal.

Recovery Exercises (30-45 minutes)

The goal of easy daily training is to allow the body and mind to rest. Of course, you can also sit on the couch to recuperate. But active recovery helps increase your body’s range of motion, lowers your stress level, and increases your daily calorie burn.

Active recovery is simply a low-intensity movement that increases the range of motion of your joints. For many people, an easy walk or a leisurely swim is a good active recovery. Some yoga classes (restorative yoga, for example) are another smart option. Light therapy is also there for people who like to use devices. An easy active recovery workout can last 30 to 45 minutes.

Aerobic Exercise (30-40 Minutes)

Spending 30-40 minutes on a treadmill is enough to cheer someone up. Even participants who motivated at a walking pace received the same benefit to improve mood.

This shows that no matter how fast you move, moving has a positive effect, which adds to the large body of research showing that running and other forms of exercise can improve mood and help fight depression.

In another study, women who took three 50-minute aerobic classes per week significantly improved mood, reduced anxiety, and were more hopeful after 12 weeks.

Long and Moderate Workout (45-90 minutes)

Most of your workouts during the week will fall into the moderate category. These workouts burn more calories than a recovery day, but still allow your body to recover and prepare for high-intensity training days.

However, since your body doesn’t work as hard on moderate training days, you have to train longer to burn enough calories to lose weight. Try to make these sessions last 45 minutes or more. If possible, schedule a long workout of 75 minutes or more during the week. This longer session challenges you mentally and develops cardiovascular endurance.

Dangers of Excessive Exercise

People who have certain medical conditions should not attempt a two-hour workout without medical approval or supervision. If you have a joint problem, training for too long can worsen pain or inflammation. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure, such a long workout can be dangerous.

According to a blog published in June 2012 by Mayo Clinic Proceedings, long-term excessive exercise can lead to unwanted changes in the heart. If you plan to exercise for that long, first ask your doctor for permission and determine which exercises to avoid, if any.

So, one thing is clear from the discussion: your exercise hours fully depends on the type of exercise and your goal.