The Science of Workout Intensity

Not every workout needs to be extreme or punishing, despite marketing campaigns from fitness philosophies suggesting otherwise. Actually, your workout intensity is completely dependent on your personal health and fitness goals. Here’s what to understand about the science of workout intensity.

First, Identify Your Goals

Just like goals in life, goals in the gym are personal. At Framework Personal Training in Reno, many of our clients are focused on improving their health. And when it goal is to optimize health, workout intensity doesn’t need to be grueling.

A common question for people who are beginning a workout program relates to time – how much exercise, for how long, and how often? It might be less that you think, because the idea that we need to complete long, challenging workouts five or six days a week to improve our health really isn’t supported by science.

In a JAMA Internal Medicine study, researchers looked at data from six studies and found that over a 14-year period, those who never exercised had the highest risk of death. That’s no surprise. The more interesting takeaway is that those participants who completed just a fraction of the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly dropped their mortality risk by 20%. The more exercise people completed, the lower the risk.

If you’re interested in specific numbers, those are available. Seniors over age 65 looking to improve their health should aim for two to three days of strength training every week, plus thirty minutes of aerobic movement every day, which means an average of about 2.5 hours a week of moderate intensity movement. That daily movement is easy enough to manage on your own – a purposeful walk around the neighborhood will suffice – but the strength training aspect is better managed with a trainer who specializes in senior fitness. It’s not always easy to know how to get started or how to properly perform an exercise. Our certified personal trainers will create fitness plans just for you, based on your personal fitness goals. They can ensure your safety and manage details like your workout consistency and intensity to help you safely progress towards those goals.

Learn more about what a personal trainer can do for you – contact Framework Personal Training today. It’s never too late to start enjoying the many health benefits of consistent exercise.