How Long Should You Workout a Day?

Daily physical activity is essential for overall health and well-being. From boosting energy levels to improving our physical health and mental well-being, it’s important to make time for daily exercise. But how long should you workout a day? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t necessarily simple. Like exercise and physical activity itself, this is not a one-size-fits-all situation. It depends on different factors, including your current fitness level, the type of workout you’re doing, and your individual goals. Let’s break down all the things you should consider when deciding how much time you should set aside for exercise.

Factors that Determine How Long to Workout

When it comes to determining how much exercise you should be getting, there are several different factors that should be taken into consideration. These factors can range from the recommended amount of time to your overall goals and current fitness level. Understanding the basics of these factors can help you determine how much time you should spend on physical activity every day. 

First, consider your fitness goals and what is recommended for different exercises. Are you looking to lose weight, build muscle, or simply stay in shape and improve your overall health? Depending on your goal and the exercises you’re doing, you may need to spend more or less time working out each day. 

Another factor to consider is your current fitness level. If you’re relatively new to exercise, it’s important to start slow and gradually increase the intensity of your workouts over time. If you start off with high-impact and vigorous intensity activity, you can put yourself at risk of injury or even burnout. Low-intensity workouts may not require as much time, especially for a beginner’s workout routine. 

Finally, when trying to determine how much exercise per day you should be doing, consider how long you have to dedicate to working out. Depending on your schedule and lifestyle, you may have only a short amount of extra time to exercise, or you may have multiple hours available each day. 

Cardio and Aerobic Activities

How long should you workout a day when it comes to cardio and aerobic exercise? The recommended amount is 150 minutes a week or 30 minute workouts a day for moderate exercise1, although some may extend it based on personal needs. While this is the recommended amount to set aside for cardio in your weekly workout plan, even a small period of time spent on physical activity can be beneficial.

Nonetheless, when it comes to cardio and aerobic exercises, it’s important to factor in both time and intensity of the workout. If you want to improve your cardiovascular health, moderate intensity activity like walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming is ideal. 

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is another type of exercise that has been gaining popularity in recent years. HIIT involves alternating bursts of intense effort with periods of rest and recovery. HIIT workout length is typically 10 to 20 minutes, and studies have shown that they can be just as effective as traditional aerobic exercise when it comes to improving cardiovascular health. However, the exercises you choose for your HIIT workout should be tailored to your fitness level, as they can be more strenuous than steady-state aerobic activities.

Strength Training

Strength and weight training can help you build muscle and increase strength, as well as improve your overall health. When it comes to how long you should strength train for, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Ultimately this will depend on a few factors, like your fitness level and goal. Plus, time spent strength training will be more determined by the number of sets and reps included in your routine. 

According to a 2020 study, performing even just one set of 6 to 12 reps can be effective in improving strength2. Of course, you’ll be able to see more improvement with more than just one set3. 

If you find yourself on a time crunch, you can choose exercises that target and work out multiple muscle groups at once, as they will give you the most benefit in the least amount of time. These exercises can include push-ups, squats, planks, lunges, and deadlifts. You can do sets of 8 to 12 reps with brief rest periods of no more than 60 seconds between each set.

Again, time spent on strength training routines can vary depending on experience, sets, reps, and rest period4.

Get Your Workout in at Chuze Fitness

So ultimately, the time spent exercising every day can vary for each person. At the end of the day, it’s about what works best for you and what can help you reach your goals. 

If you’re looking for a supportive community to motivate you and keep you on track with your journey, look no further than our community at Chuze Fitness. From personal trainers to fitness classes, we’re here to help you reach your goals and become your best self yet. 

Source:

Mayo Clinic. How much should the average adult exercise every day? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/exercise/

Sports Medicine. The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required to Increase 1RM Strength in Resistance-Trained Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31797219/ 

Journal of Human Kinetics. A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35291645/  

Healthline. You Asked, We Answered: How Long Should A Workout Last? https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/how-long-should-a-workout-last#weightlifting 

Reviewed By:

Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.