Yes, you sure CAN work out every single day; don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.
The issue isn’t that of working out every day of the week. The issue is what kind of exercise you do.
Our primitive ancestors worked out every day, though it was for survival, not for fitness, weight loss or sports training.
That said, it is not at all harmful or disadvantageous to do some exercise seven days a week—though it’s also not necessary for being in fabulous physical condition, either.
It’s just that some people go batty if they skip a day of exercise, yet some of them will wonder if it’s okay to work out every single day.
As a former personal trainer, I say go ahead, exercise every day and don’t feel guilty about it.
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But here’s what you must know about working out every day:
• Never weight train the same muscle group two days in a row. This means don’t do bench presses one day, then pushups and seated chest presses the next, or squats on Monday and a rash of leg presses on Tuesday.
• Ideally, three days should pass in between the strength training of any particular muscle group, but it should definitely be at least two days.
• An optimal way to do HIIT (high intensity interval training) is to schedule this on non-weightlifting days.
• Do not do HIIT two days in a row. The reason is that the second day you may find that physically, and psychologically, you’re just not up to par.
• If you space your twice-weekly HIIT days several days apart, you’ll be more refreshed and recharged to give these workouts your best effort.
It’s funny how nobody thinks watching TV every day for three hours is a problem, and rarely is such a person regarded as a fanatic.
But tell someone you have to exercise every single day for an hour…and sooner or later, you’ll hear something like, “You’re an exercise-aholic.”
Research just keeps piling up that excessive sitting is so very bad for the body. That’s why “Sitting Is the New Smoking.”
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So if you’ve decided to exercise every day to help offset excessive time spent in a chair, then this is a very smart decision.
If you want to work out every day as part of your weight management, and you’re wondering what kind of activity to do, I recommend at least three days a week of weightlifting.
There’s nothing wrong with four days a week of lifting weights, as long as you strategically space the muscle groups apart.
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Do all cardio on non-weightlifting days, even if it’s a steady-state jog at 4 mph.
For non-lifting days, there are many ways to exercise to fulfill the daily desire. Here are some examples:
• Martial arts classes
• Wall climbing
• Inline skating
• Bicycling
• Mountain biking
• Hiking
• Yoga
• Swimming
• Group fitness classes
• Pickup basketball games
• Brisk walking around the neighborhood or on a treadmill (don’t hold on!)
It is perfectly okay to work out every day — far more preferable than plopping before the TV or computer for hours on end day after day.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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