Exercise is clearly good for our bodies — it helps lose weight and sleep better, it can lead to decreased risk of disease, improved endurance, it uplifts mood, energy levels and much more. With all these benefits, it would seem that more is better — but is that really the case?
To stay healthy, fitness experts recommend about 30 minutes per day of moderately intense exercise five days a week. If you’re trying to lose weight, 50 to 60 minutes a day, five to six times a week is the goal, and we’re talking three days of heart-pumping, calorie-burning cardio, two days of moderate exercise, and one light day.
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With that said, it’s not always possible to fit in an hour-long workout just about every day of the week, so doubling up in one day seems like a great way to balance a tight schedule. Delhi-based fitness trainer Sudhanshu Sharma says when doing two daily workouts, make sure they’re different from one another so you can include a balance of cardio, strength training, and stretching over the course of a day.
“Go for a run in the morning and take an evening yoga class or do some strength training before dinner. Be conscious of which muscles you’re targeting each time you exercise, because solely working your legs twice in one day could not only cause a muscular imbalance that leads to pain or injury, but you’ll also get bored. And don’t skip those rest days! It’s important to allow your muscles a chance to heal and strengthen,” Sharma says.
Of course, if you’re training for a race, tackling a day-long hike or attending a fitness event, you’ll be exceeding the two hours of exercise. For big fitness bursts like this, pace yourself throughout the day and be mindful of pushing yourself too far.
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“If you’re feeling extremely lethargic, dizzy, nauseous, or painfully sore, stop immediately to rest, and the next time scale down the intensity a bit,” Sharma says.
Sharma adds that also keep in mind that exercising twice in one day will cause you to burn more calories, so make sure you’re nourishing yourself with enough protein and healthy carbs. And as long as getting in your two workouts doesn’t have a negative effect on your life or prevent you from getting enough sleep, then there’s nothing wrong with sweating it out twice.
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First Published: Jul 30, 2018 15:33 IST
