In this fast paced world, we live in, we all want great results and we want them now. No wonder why the 6 minutes abs videos were such a success. Lean and beautiful abs in just 6 minutes, how good does that sound?
Then others in the industry are telling us we need to perform over an hour of exercise daily to achieve the body we desire. These mixed messages can be very confusing for all of us. So today we're going to break down three types of exercise and a simple time guideline to follow for each of them that'll help you get the most bang for your buck.
Firstly, Weight Training. This form of exercise should be the cornerstone of any program you undertake as the benefits are endless - better posture, stronger bones, faster metabolism leading to fat loss, improved self-image, quicker reaction time preventing falls and injuries - just to name a few. A structured full body routine using compound movements (moving more than one joint at a time) should be performed for 30 minutes, twice a week. This simple hour of exercise weekly makes up less than 1% of your week and will reap fantastic benefits.
Next let's look atCardio Training. This is any exercise other than weights that gets the body moving and a bit huffy puffy. Two forms of cardio to look at is high intensity interval training (HIIT) and low-moderate cardio training.
HIIT cardiois made up of short bouts of effort followed by recovery periods. This is to be repeated for anywhere between 15-30 minutes (a very time efficient way to exercise). This form of training will quickly improve your fitness levels, heart function, and boost your metabolism for the rest of the day (meaning you'll burn more fat even after the session is finished). Exercises you can utilise for these sessions include but are not limited to running, rowing, cycling, boxing and bodyweight circuits. Aim to do a HIIT session once or twice a week.
Lastly, let's talk about low-moderate cardioexercise. This is exercise that you can sustain for a longer period of time and hold a conversation during. You want to aim for anywhere between 45-90 minutes for these sessions.
The benefit of low-moderate exercise is that is very sustainable long-term, less chance of injury, less chance of over eating after the session, burns more energy from fat than carbohydrates (better fat burning cardio), and is great to use as a social catch up with family & friends.
Any form of movement that gets a little puff is good - tennis, golf, walking, swimming, bike riding. This exercise can also be performed as little or as much as you like as you won't get run down by moving your body at a low-moderate intensity through the week.
Hopefully this simple yet effective structure gives you more confidence in selecting what you do for exercise through the week and for how long you perform each session.
For more information on all things health & fitness related please feel free to contact the team at Vision Personal Training Mona Vale on 9999 4702 or www.visiont.com.au/studios/mona-vale/
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
