How Much Exercise Is Too Much For Weight Loss?
Most of us want to workout to maintain good health, but there is a point where exercise can have a negative effect. What is that exact number that helps you maintain good health without causing injury?
How Often Should You Workout Your Muscles?
This depends on what you are trying to do. For instance, if you are working out to lose fat, then do about 3-4 full body workouts per week. A lot of energy will be expended each workout, and taking a few days off can help your body to recover.
If you are training to increase size, try focusing on a different muscle each day. Each muscle needs a certain amount of working out in order to promote growth, and focusing on one muscle per day can allow you to meet that quota. Don’t worry about losing size by the time you get back to a particular muscle. If you do your training properly, you will maintain your progress from workout to workout, even if it is a week later.
“60-120 reps for each big muscle group per workout, with just 1 workout for each muscle group per week.” – A Workout Routine
As far as strength goes, 4 days a week is fine. Doing heavy sets can have a huge impact on draining the nervous system, which means that recovery time is very important.
How Often Should You Do Cardio?
It is recommended to do at least 30 minutes of intense cardio 6 days a week. You don’t want to go overboard and do 60-90 minutes per day if you are not eating like an athlete, because it can cause your body to lack of nutrient issues.
But, If you are trying to lose weight, 30 minutes a day will definitely help you reach your calorie deficit levels. And if you are just trying to stay healthy, that time will also benefit you.
For some people it may sound like a lot. But there is a bigger reason that working out so much can be helpful.
Doing cardio at least 6 days a week helps you to develop the habit of working out. Getting up and doing cardio every morning, for example, may be hard on you in the beginning, but it’s mostly hard because it is not a habit that feels easy and normal. The more you do it, the more it feels like a normal part of life and the easier it is to get a good workout in without a lot of struggle.
How Much Exercise If You Are Pregnant?
Working out during pregnancy can help you to stay healthy for childbirth and give you the ability to quickly start working out again after giving birth, assuming everything goes well. However, you cannot overdo it during pregnancy.
During the first trimester, your baby’s major organs are developing, so you don’t want to overheat yourself and risk harming your baby during this time. Take it easy, go for brisk walks every day, but do not exercise to the point of exhaustion.
As far as lifting weights, you can continue with your regular routine, however, remember that when you stand in one spot for too long, you can decrease blood flow to the uterus and promote blood to pool in your legs. Therefore, keep moving and switching positions for optimal workouts.
After Giving Birth?
It all depends on your fitness level and how complicated the delivery was. If you exercised throughout your pregnancy, and everything went fine during the delivery, then you can start working out again when you feel ready.
However, if you had complications, had a cesarean, or didn’t exercise during pregnancy, you should taking working out very slowly to give your body the time it needs to recover and prevent any injury. Some experts recommend waiting for 6-8 weeks to do anything other than walking.