The age-old question of how long a man should work out for is as old as the concept of working out itself. Whether it’s because of age, build, lifestyle or just a lack of knowledge about routines, we’re all too often left wondering if we’ve done enough hours, or whether we’ve possibly done too much (normally we’ll know this by the level of pain and strain we’re feeling!) Whilst there is no hard and fast concrete answer, there are some guidelines to follow when figuring out how long to spend exercising and working out.
The Department of Health and Human Services in the USA have given what is broadly accepted as a benchmark figure. 150 minutes of light to moderate exercise a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week are considered ‘enough’ (but there’s nothing stopping you from doing more if you’re fit and healthy!) There is also the opportunity to split this out so that you can do, for instance, 75 minutes of light to moderate aerobic work and then around 40 minutes or so of intense activity. For this reason, lot of people choose to set aside their minimum suggested time and use it for aerobic exercise (as opposed to building mass or increasing stamina at the gym, for instance.) The beauty of this minimum required amount is that it’s actually perfectly possibly to get this suggested minimum in by going about your daily tasks. Simply walking to work 2-3 times a week is going to get you a few hours clocked in straight away, or running twice a week and building it up to a full sprint (so that, by the end, you’re absolutely belting it to work) is going to hit the minimum in no time. The rest of your aspirational gym time can then be set aside for the things you really want to focus on.
There is, conversely, an upper limit for a healthy amount of exercise (as, believe it or not, too much can have detrimental effects.) With 150 being around the minimum for light to moderate exercise, 300 is considered a safe maximum, with 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity if going for an intense burst. Ideally, these workouts should be around 60-90 minutes in length, as this hits the minimum needed for the body to really feel the work, and also minimises the chance of diminished returns. Keep going after 90 minutes and your body will just burn out and you’ll do absolutely no good. The other issue is that, after a long workout, the body starts to look for alternative sources of energy and will start tapping into muscle mass. This is why so many people who run for hours a day have what one might call ‘lean muscle’; their body eats it up to produce the energy needed, and in addition, the muscles weaken and cannot repair effectively.
If you do want to train for longer, it’s possible, but most fitness experts will suggest an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon or evening. You’re going to see results and stay inside the ‘safe zone’, whilst also allowing a good few hours to rest, rebuild and get the necessary energy to go back at it again.
It’s crucial to note that the above is dependent on physical condition. Someone who is out of shape or suffers from health conditions should obviously not charge in and immediately start an intense workout. That’s how heart attacks and strokes happen. Start slow, build up and get the body into a tolerant state. The more you get in a few hours of light to moderate exercise, the more you’ll become able to cope with a few intense workouts here and there. And if you’re getting back into exercise for the first time, a few extra half hours here and there of moderate exercise are not the worst thing in the world.
