There seems to be no real concrete answer for the questions How Often Should I Workout. Between work, kids, school and other ‘life’ factors often cause working out to fall between the cracks.

According to the latest joint American Heart Association/American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, all healthy adults ages 18-65 should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity for 5 days a week. Take a minute or 2 to think of the people you come into contact with each day. How many of them do you think actually exercise at least 30 minutes a day. The answer will more than likely be fewer rather than more. Physical activities could include anything from running, walking, skiing, cycling, swimming and other activities. The lack of physical activity and exercise is large contributor to cardiovascular disease.

So now that you have an answer for how often should I workout, let’s talk about what kind of exercises you should be doing. It all comes down to what you want your results to be. Do you want to lose weight? If so, then doing a cardio working 5 – 6 days a week would be recommended. Cardio exercises will make your heart and lungs pump extra amounts of blood thus delivering more oxygen to your muscles. When your body reaches the ‘aerobic zone’, this means you are burning fat and calories at an optimal level. The aerobic zone is typically 70% - 80% of your maximum heart rate.

If you are looking to build muscle, then resistance training is your best option. Resistance training is designed to increase body strength, muscle endurance and power. The most common form of this is lifting weights. There are countless resistance training routines that one can follow. There are some that use just body weight, free weights or weight machines. The routine you are most comfortable with would be the best recommendation.

In conclusion, I have tried to answer the question ‘How Often Should I Workout’. Try to fit some form of activity or exercise into your day, every day. Some days you may be able to do more than others, but the trick is to be consistent. I have personally found that following an exercise program is what works for me. The best thing about following a program is that it will give you that ‘conviction’ to skip a day or find some lame excuse to not workout.