There is no single correct way to schedule exercise. The perfect exercise schedule is the one that gets you moving every day. Consider your personality traits and lifestyle when designing your exercise regimen. Some people thrive on regularity when trying to make exercising a habit. Other people have irregular work schedules or other commitments and need exercise that fits into different time slots. Prioritize exercise time by writing it into onto your planner or calendar.
Time Commitment
Design a workout schedule that meets or exceeds the minimum activity guidelines created by the American Heart Association. Healthy adults should spend at least 150 minutes per week doing moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise. If you exercise vigorously or train hard, you only need to log 75 minutes per week. This time commitment helps you get fit and attain heart health.
However, if you want to burn enough calories to trim fat and lose weight, you should schedule more aerobic workout time. If you want to increase your range of motion, protect yourself from injury, build muscle and improve your stamina, add two or three 20-minute sessions of stretching and resistance exercises.
Short Workouts
If you do not have time to spend 30 to 60 minutes on exercising, divide your workout into shorter segments. Start you day with up to 20 minutes of yoga sun salutation stretches. These moves target your upper- and lower-body muscles, joints and tendons. Do the poses fluidly and rapidly and you also raise your heart rate. Devote another 20- to 30-minute segment of your day to walking briskly. At the end of your walk, spend a few minutes doing squats, pushups and situps to build muscle.
Daily Activities
For people with irregular schedules, one easy way to make time for exercise is by making daily life more active. Meet friends at nature trails for a hike rather than cafes for dessert. Join a social group or a class centered on an activity you enjoy, such as cycling or martial arts. Use the stairs rather than the elevator and walk instead of drive. Stay active while watching television or talking on the telephone by pacing or marching in place. Do deep squats while working in the garden.
Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis
If you have a sedentary job with long hours, try sneaking more activity into your work hours. If you wiggle, fidget, tap your foot, drum your fingers, change position, gesture and pace throughout your work day, you burn more calories than people who sit still. This type of nervous movement is called non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. People who fidget all day burn up to 10 times as many calories as people who sit still, making it the equivalent of jogging two or three times per week.
References
- American Heart Association; American Heart Association Guidelines; Jan. 2011
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source: 20 Exercise Tips
- American Heart Association; Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis --The Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon of Societal Weight Gain; James A. Levine, et al.; 2006
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