From losing weight to getting in better shape:how much should you exercise to reach your goal? We have listed it for you with the help of an expert.
It is not surprising that you sometimes no longer know how often you have to exercise to be healthy. One study reports that you are only really fit if you complete seven minutes of high-intensity interval training (HITT) every day. But another study claims that 45 minutes of exercise four times a week is a must. And then there's the exercise standard of the Dutch Health Council, they state that, in addition to half an hour of daily exercise, adults should exercise for twenty minutes three times a week.
Opinions differ and you may have guessed it:there is not one golden fit formula. How much you have to move and how heavy that workout should be, is personal and depends, among other things, on your own goals, what you feel good about and what is achievable.
Do you want to lose pounds? Then it is best to opt for a HIIT. Scientists showed that a series of short intensive exercises with short rest periods in between provides the most combustion. With HIIT you burn as many calories in twenty minutes as with a cardio session of 45 minutes to an hour. This is because you put your body to work as much as possible, and you also burn calories in the recovery time in between.
A study from the University of Lethbridge in Canada showed that a group of women who took HIIT three times a week lost as much as eight percent body fat in six weeks. It doesn't matter what kind of HIIT exercises you do. It is about variety, intensity and rest. For optimal fat burning, your heart rate increases (during the HITT exercises) and decreases (during rest periods). As a result, your body uses your fat reserves.
In addition to sufficient training, nutrition is the way to lose weight. In a few minutes you can eat more calories than you burn in an hour with a workout. People often underestimate this and go wrong with this. Paying close attention to your diet is therefore important when losing weight. Otherwise, sports will have little effect.
The advice of a sports scientist It doesn't really matter what you do for sports. It is especially important that you move as much as possible. And pay close attention to your calorie intake. Losing weight is simply taking in less energy than you burn. Try to exercise a lot every week and exercise intensively at least three times a week. Think cardio, sprint intervals, a HIIT class at the gym, or get started at home with a session of pushups, squats, burpees, jumping jacks and other high-intensity exercises.
Are you in good weight, but do you want a toned body? Then it is smart to get started with weights. Research shows that your muscle mass can increase in 8 weeks if you do about 25 minutes of strength training 3 days a week. This increase in muscles gives you a rounder buttocks, muscular arms and well-shaped thighs, as well as a tighter stomach. Those who have more muscle mass burn more energy, even at rest. A study published in The Journal of Applied Physiology shows that strength training gives your fat burning a big boost. Your muscles need energy to recover both during and after strength training, so your fat burning continues even after your workout.
Are you just starting strength training? Then it is enough to train the major muscle groups (legs, chest and back) in sets of ten repetitions three times a week. Think of exercises like squats, deadlifts and bench press. You don't have to worry about getting very muscular right away. It's hard for men to get massive muscle, let alone for women. This has to do with your fat percentage, which is higher in women than in men. For strength training, it is recommended to work with a personal trainer or fitness coach. You then train at your own level so that you can perform to the maximum. You will also be monitored whether you are performing all exercises correctly, so that the risk of injury is reduced.
The advice of a sports scientist Strength training three times a week ensures a more muscular body. Have a personalized schedule at the gym so you know exactly what to do. CrossFit, a way of fitness in which you combine weight lifting, athletics and gymnastics, is also a good way to train your muscle groups, according to the sports scientist. This allows you to work on your body and your athletic ability to the maximum in one hour. This means that you get more strength, stamina and stamina.
Whatever type of training you do, you are always working on your fitness. A good condition has to do with strength, speed, endurance, agility and even resistance. Endurance is therefore only one part of your fitness. This allows you to sustain an exercise for a long time. Some sports, such as running, cycling, swimming and rowing, require greater stamina. For example, a marathon runner must be able to run for hours without losing speed. You can train this by running more and more often and for longer until you can eventually run a long distance without difficulty.
According to research by the Royal Dutch Society of Physiotherapy, long training, also called endurance training, improves your maximum oxygen absorption capacity at a constant pace, so that you are less likely to get out of breath during a long workout. Combine your long workouts with strength training. Research from the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that strength training results in fewer injuries and more speed in endurance athletes.
The advice of a sports scientist
Do endurance training regularly and combine this with strength training every week. Professional cyclists do strength training in addition to endurance training to improve their endurance. Marathon runners also hang on the weights. Brazilian research shows that your running speed is higher after eight weeks of strength training, which improves your endurance training. The number of endurance training sessions depends on how fanatic you want to get started and how large the distance you ultimately want to cover. Twenty minutes of running three times a week is not enough for a marathon, but for someone with a different goal this amount may be sufficient. It is important to determine in advance what exactly you want to train for. You can join an athletics or running club. They can guide you in your personal goal. And also hang out in the weight room at least once a week.
