You Asked: Is it Healthy to Workout Everday?
Dear Sugar--
Do you think it is healthy to just jump right into an intense exercise routine, working out five days or the whole week, especially if your recent workout consisted of a simple mile run once a week? Please help.
--Getting in Shape Susan
To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more
Dear Getting in Shape Susan--
Many times women who want to get in shape or lose weight decide to "hit the ground running" (literally) and begin an intense exercise program. If you're only used to working out moderately once a week, going from zero to 100 could be a shock to your system. Your body won't be able to keep up and in turn, you'll get extremely frustrated, which could be the beginning of the end for your workout routine.
That's not to say you can't workout everyday, but you need to start off with an attainable goal. Start by exercising two or three days a week: Go for a 30 minute walk, take an hour and a half yoga class, go swimming, or do anything that gets your heart pumping. If you like running, stick to that, but try running a little more than a mile each time. Once your body gets used to exercising more frequently, you can start making your cardio more intense with interval running, elliptical machines, biking, etc. Think about adding strength-training in there to help tone your muscles and make you stronger and lean. This can be in the form of yoga, Pilates and weight lifting. You can do this either on the same days you do cardio or in between, it's up to you.
Once your body gets used to working out regularly, you can start increasing the intensity or your workouts, or even workout more often if you want. Just keep in mind that you want to avoid pushing yourself too hard, so try to be sensitive to how your body is reacting to the extra exercise. Don't convince yourself that you have to workout everyday because working out should not be viewed as a chore. Good luck!
