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How Much Should I Exercise?

Do I exercise too much?

• Do you feel guilty if a day goes by when you don’t exercise?
• Do you feel depressed if you are unable to exercise?
• Do you feel tired, yet have trouble sleeping?
• Do you have injuries that don’t seem to heal?
• Are you reluctant to take time off to let injuries heal?
• Are you putting exercise first, in front of social life, family life, or work?
• Do you feel compelled to work out even though you are tired?
• Do you increase or decrease your exercise based on what you have eaten?
• Do you have insomnia, undesired weight loss, fatigue, irritability, loss of menstruation, chronic injuries, or stress fractures?

Do I exercise too little?

• Do you find other things to do with your time so you don’t have to exercise?
• Do you procrastinate a workout or the start of a new exercise program?
• Do you often skip a workout that you previously scheduled for yourself?
• Do you have trouble concentrating or falling asleep at night?
• Do you feel tired throughout the day?

I exercise the correct amount for me

• I can concentrate well and fall asleep easily.
• I don’t have unwanted weight loss, irritability, or chronic injuries.
• I am okay when I don’t exercise and it’s easy for me to get back to my routine.
• I let my injuries heal when they need to.
• I know what my priorities are in life and a healthy body is one of them.
• My diet is consistent and doesn’t change with the amount I exercise.
• I look forward to exercising when I can.
• I have energy to last throughout my workout and throughout the day.

American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines for Exercise

• Frequency - 3-5 days a week
• Intensity - 50%-85% of estimated maximum heart rate
• Duration - 20-60 minutes of aerobic exercise
• Resistance - Moderate Intensity, 1 Set, 8-15 reps, > 2 non-consecutive days a week