How Often Should You Exercise?

Emmanuel Christy graduated with a BA in management from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Los Angeles, in 2017. Until recently, he worked as an assistant produce manager at Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. In his free time Emmanuel Christy enjoys reading and exercising.

A common question asked by individuals looking to get fit is how often should you exercise. According to fitness experts, to reap the full benefits of exercising you should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or a minimum of 75 minutes of high-intensity workouts weekly.

Moderate-intensity exercises are those physical activities such as walking, swimming, and dancing, that raise your heart rate by about 60 percent, while high-intensity exercises such as running, hill walking, and jumping rope, raise your heart rate by 80 to 90 percent.

To achieve the recommended time for moderate-intensity exercise, fitness trainers recommend that you break down the 150 minutes into 30 minutes of exercise five days a week, and 25 minutes three days a week to achieve the minimum time of 75 minutes if you choose to do high-intensity exercise.

While you can exercise seven days a week, fitness trainers recommend that you have at least one day of rest to give your body time to repair muscles that may have been damaged while working out. If you have big fitness goals that require you to exercise daily, listen to your body and immediately take rest days if you experience muscle aches, nausea, reduced performance, sleeping issues, etc.