Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one exercise topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. Now this week, we are talking to those of you who are looking to do the bare minimum. What is the least amount of exercise you should be aiming to get in each and every week in order to maintain and improve your health?
1) Do Resistance Training 2x/Week
Our first tip is to make sure you are doing controlled resistance training twice a week every single week. This will make sure that you are keeping your muscle mass and you are getting the benefits of exercise. Also, we recently found out that twice a week is the minimum amount of resistance training you need in order to help improve brain function.
Action Step: Schedule in time for yourself at least twice each week to go to the gym and lift weights. The best way, bar none, to ensure this gets done is to schedule it in your calendar. If you are not sure how to properly resistance train, check out our e-book on the matter here!
Related: Brain Health – The Importance of Exercise
2) Move Around 5-10 Minutes/Hour
Secondly, you need to figure out ways to be physically active throughout the day that don’t normally seem like exercise. This is what we call “All The Time” exercise. For “All The Time” exercise, the recommendation is a minimum of five to 10 minutes out of every single hour.
Action Step: An easy way to remind yourself to get in “All The Time” exercise is to set the timer on your phone for 25 to 50 minutes. When the timer goes off, stand up and walk around for five to 10 minutes.
Related: Being Healthy – The Do’s and Don’ts
3) Increase Your HR for 20-40 Minutes 2x/Week
In addition to “All The Time” exercise, you are also going to want to get in “Special Event” exercise. This is exercise that we typically classify as exercise — going to the gym, going for a run, etc. At least twice per week, you want to do something to increase your heart rate for at least 20 to 40 minutes. If you don’t like cardio, you can structure your resistance training to create a cardio-like response.
Action Step: If you can only dedicate two days each week to doing Special Event exercise, make sure you are doing resistance training both times, but include a cardio component to it such as doing circuits with the weights or adding in bike sprints between your sets. If you can dedicate more time to Special Event exercise, consider adding in some interval-based cardio days, too!
If you would like a step-by-step guide on how to use exercise to promote lifelong health, download our free e-book here!
