How much should I exercise if I want to lose weight? It seems like this question has been asked over and over again and it is usually subject to various responses. That being said, we think we have found a magic number. 250. No, not 250 hours, but instead, we are suggesting 250 minutes a week.
While at first you might not be sure whether that feels like a lot or a little to you, we suggest you look at it this way: 250 divided by 5? 50 minutes. This would mean that by simply working out 50 minutes, 5 days a week you could potentially be on the road to success. This was just an example, but feel free to break it up throughout the week however you please.
We must emphasize, however, that 250 is not the end all, be all of exercise and weight loss. If you chose to workout more, this does not automatically mean that your body will burn out. If anything, you might be speeding up the process. However, this number might be good news for those of you who think you have to bust your butt for hours in the gym, going twice a day, or having to adhere to one certain type of training (cardio, anyone?) to see any sort of results.
Try breaking up your training styles, with one day working on strength-based moves, the next focusing on cardio, and then going back between the two. 250 minutes a week might make weight loss more likely, but on top of all that, you want to become a more well-rounded athlete. Use a time sheet to keep track of all your “workout hours” and what you do (i.e. yoga, running, weight lifting, etc.) to visualize how to keep yourself in balance.
In addition, we’d like to say that it doesn’t really matter how much you workout if you have not cleaned up your diet. We’re not saying to never eat a cookie again, but if you adhere to the 80/20 rule (80% healthy eating/20% treats) and exercise at least 250 minutes a week, there is no doubt that you will be on the right path to a healthier and slimmer you.
How much do you exercise every week?
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