“How Often Should I Workout?”
“It depends!” Quite possibly one of the least helpful, most annoying responses to receive to an important question. And it’s a response personal trainers use a lot. Not surprisingly, they are often asked questions from friends and strangers alike. Questions like, “Is keto a good way to lose weight?” – ahem, personal trainers are not registered dietitians – or, “Is this specific exercise good for me?” And one of the most frequent questions: “How often should I be working out?”
Just like a doctor cannot give you a diagnosis without fully understanding your health history, lifestyle, and current symptoms, a personal trainer cannot tell you that you should or shouldn’t be doing anything without knowing more about you. Most questions people ask do not have a generic answer and are very much dependent on you, your lifestyle, and your goals.
Personally, my lifestyle, goals, and understanding of how to exercise strategically and effectively has drastically changed over the years.
When I first moved to Chicago, Class Pass Unlimited had just launched. I would bounce around from studio to studio, working out six to seven days per week. My friends applauded me for my dedication, and the praise helped me to keep my momentum going… until I got injured. My shoulder was in so much pain, I couldn’t lift my arms over my head without wincing. My diagnosis was shoulder impingement. At the time, the cause was unknown. I now know that it was most likely from overtraining.
Soon after, I was able to return to working out with a better understanding of the importance of rest days. I also rediscovered my love for traditional weight lifting in the gym. I began personal training for a few different companies, and I reaped the benefits of the free gym membership by arriving early or staying late and lifting five days per week.
Aesthetically, I became more lean and muscular. Internally, I was depleted. Every day, I was waking up at 4:30am, returning home at 9:00pm, running around to multiple locations, and always feeling exhausted. My workout routine was intense and consistent, but my quality of life was almost non-existent.
Thankfully, the onset of the pandemic forced me to do what I had always wanted to: quit working for other people and instead, run my own business. Of course, the downside was that I was indefinitely stuck in my house. My normal 15,000+ step count was now lying around 3,000. I no longer had access to a barbell or heavy dumbbells. And I had about one yoga mat’s length and width in which I could move within my apartment. So, I acquired some light dumbbells and began a six day per week workout routine that primarily focused on cardio. Week by week, my hard earned strength began to plummet.
Finally, gyms opened back up, and I was able to return to my beloved barbell. My first thought was to continue my six day per week routine, focusing on a different muscle group each day. However, now that I was back to working full time and leaving my house more, I quickly learned that six days per week was too much for me, both physically and mentally.
And so I quit. I completely quit doing what I loved to do. And why? Because I was trying to do too much. I was trying to hold myself to what I was able to do in a previous phase of my life. I was using that previous phase as my standard, and if I couldn’t meet the standard, I shouldn’t even bother, right?
Wrong! The reason I wanted to share this journey of mine is to provide a full understanding of how I got to where I am today. When I was working out the most, I was either injured, experiencing a low quality of life, or not even completing workouts I enjoyed. When I wasn’t working out at all, I was sad, lethargic, and defeated.
Getting to where I am today took a lot of learning and reflecting. I am now consistently weight lifting four days per week, and enjoying all that the routine has to offer me. I understand the importance of rest days. I’m able to plan my workouts and rest days around my always changing schedule each week – something that can’t be easily done when working out 5+ days – and I am able to complete all 4 workouts no matter what. I enter most workouts feeling rested, energized, and ready to go. My quality of life is not negatively impacted and in fact, has improved since adopting this routine. I’m confident that continuing to follow it will get me to where I want to be in this chapter of my life. Most importantly, I understand that a new chapter might bring on a routine that looks different, and that’s okay.
So, when you ask how often you “should” be working out, I will always say, “It depends!” Because it truly does depend on:
Your health history. Do you have any current or past injuries? Any conditions? Are you taking any medications? Has your doctor given you any guidance regarding exercise?
Your current schedule. How much sleep are you getting? How much time do you have to dedicate to exercise?
Your current obligations and priorities. What do you do for a living? Are you pregnant, hoping to become pregnant, breast feeding, raising a family? Are you trying to buy a house, earn a promotion, or achieve another big milestone? Are you training for something?
What is your relationship with exercise? Do you enjoy it? Do you have a tendency to use it as a punishment? Is there a particular form of exercise that you love and or hate?
What type of exercise are you currently doing, if any? What about your current routine are you trying to change, and why?
What is your ultimate goal? Are you trying to simply stay active or are you working towards something specific?
And all of these things are subject to change. Thus, you have to be open to change, too.
Generically speaking, the frequency and duration of your workouts should be something you can consistently stick to week after week and that adds to your energy and quality of life. To learn more about what is best for you, your schedule, your lifestyle, and your goals, schedule a complimentary consultation with me! I’m always here to help.
In Grind and Wine,
Ashley
