United States Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Recommends that adults clock in at least 150 to 300 minutes per week 75 to 150 minutes each week of moderate exercise, vigorous movement, or “an equal combination of both intensities.” However, the results of A recent study published in the journal Spreading It has been suggested that increasing the amount of time you spend biking, lifting weights and running can boost longevity.
The study found that people who exercised two to four times more than the moderate physical activity recommendations (about 300 to 599 minutes each week) reaped the most rewards from their exercise regimen. These participants had 26% to 31% lower all-cause mortality, 28% to 38% lower cardiovascular mortality, and 25% to 27% lower non-cardiovascular mortality.
Below, maillard howella personal trainer and owner at Dean CrossFit in New York City, and Dr. Sean Heffron to a cardiologist NYU Langone HealthOffer up their best tips for safely supplementing your current workout regimen.
Follow the 10% Rule to Increase Your Exercise Regimen
In running, there is a rule that you should increase your mileage by no more than 10% each week To avoid injury while increasing fitness. For example, if you ran 10 miles one week, you shouldn’t run more than 11 miles the following week. Heffron says you can follow this regimen no matter what type of fitness you prefer.
When you’re considering how to measure that 10%, he recommends thinking of exercise in terms of duration or intensity. In other words, you can either extend the duration of the attempt Or How taxing is the effort on your body – but only 10%. “If you try to move higher than that your risk of orthopedic injuries can increase substantially,” Hefron explains. “I remind people that 10% is the maximum.” He says that, in the beginning, increasing your workouts by 1% or 5% will likely be more sustainable.
progress and deload progress and deload
Instead of thinking of your fitness journey as a sport where you reach higher levels each week, try taking a break from time to time to reduce the load, and recover.
Below, Howell presents a strength training example of progression and elimination, but you can apply this same mindset to any type of workout.
Weeks 1-4: Weight lift, increasing your fitness plan each week by increasing the weight little by little.
Week 5: Deload, cutting back on the weights you lifted the week before.
Week 6: Resume your program, but aim to achieve a higher peak weight by the end of week 4.
Tune into your body’s signals—and adjust your workouts accordingly.
“Pain is your body’s way of telling you that what you’re doing isn’t good,” Hefron says. While it’s okay to feel breathless and queasy, dizziness, extreme fatigue and feeling unwell are all good reasons to stop your workout.
According to Howell, tuning in to yourself will allow you to understand whether you can do more. If the exercises you did last month feel like a piece of cake, or your body composition isn’t changing, it might be time to delve a little deeper into your workouts — and really look at what you’re doing. Can
Above all, notice when you’re really enjoying your workout. Your brain may be sending the message that you really like this hike or HIIT workout, and that motivates you to add it to your schedule more often, Heffron says.
prioritize recovery
As you put more and more stress on your muscles, you’ll need to balance that effort with rest. “Whatever stage you’re in on your journey, recovery is important,” Howell says. “Stimulus is variable for each of us and so whether we are an Olympian or a desk jockey, we are going to feel the effects of an exercise regimen, although those regimens may differ markedly.”
Deload weeks, quality sleep, casual walks, stretching and limiting alcohol are all free ways, he says. However, massage guns, saunas, massages, ice baths, and chiropractic adjustments can also be helpful if they fit your budget. Personally, Howell is a fan of bike riding, saunas, and getting plenty of sleep (including naps).
Let go of the mindset that you have to move “a certain way”
The good news about increasing your movement minutes is that it’s up to you to decide whether you want to do something you love or try something new. Maybe that means you’re a runner who jumps on a bike, or you’re a dedicated yoga practitioner who wants to try a trampoline class.
That said, those extra exercise minutes don’t have to be so formal. Heffron wants you to remember that your daily life is full of opportunities to get your heart rate up. “I tell people, get off the bus, stop early, get off the subway one stop early. If you live on the 15th floor, get off the elevator on the 10th floor, take the stairs,” he says. If you’re not living in the building, enjoy time outside doing yard work or something like that.”
