Creating a Well-Balanced Schedule for Your Weekly Workout Routine

Exercise is renowned for enhancing sleep quality, improving cognitive capabilities, and increasing happiness levels, making it a crucial element of a daily routine. Successfully incorporating physical activity into your life is a success in itself, but science and experts concur that diversifying your exercise plan provides a multitude of benefits, including injury prevention.

Adam Rosante, a well-known strength and nutrition coach, advocates for variety in fitness, suggesting doing the same exercise repetitively may lead to fitness stagnation.

Although not appropriate for everyone, daily workouts can be feasible if undertaken mindfully and without overexertion. According to Dennis Cardone, D.O., chief of primary care sports medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, implementing cardio or strength training seven days a week is achievable if you're avoiding maximum effort lifts and opting for smaller sets of about 10 repetitions. Don't skip that foam roller session after each workout, though.

But how should you structure your weekly workout plan to minimize injuries and maximize outcomes? The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a rather generalized plan: 150 minutes of moderate activity per week and two days of strength-boosting activities. They suggest activities like brisk walking or casual cycling as examples of moderate activity.

Rosante provides a perfectly balanced weekly workout plan designed to strengthen while improving overall conditioning and energy levels.

Strength training, despite the daunting appearance of dumbbells and barbells, is a fundamental aspect of any weekly workout plan. Strength training not only helps in building lean muscles and enhancing bone strength but also helps in avoiding injuries. Regular alteration of your strength training routine, preferably every three to four weeks, is vital to continue seeing improvements, suggests AAFA-certified personal trainer Holly Rillinger.

The general principle for lifting is to allow a gap of 48 hours between workouts focusing on the same muscle group, as per the Hospital for Special Surgery's recommendations. On the second day of the weekly workout plan, focus on lower body strength to give the upper body muscles some rest.

Dr. Cardone advises avoiding consecutive days of the same activity and recommends a low-impact day following a high-impact workout. This ensures proper muscle recovery before returning to more rigorous exercise.

Fast-paced workouts, though taking less time than others, can offer health benefits similar to endurance exercises as per a 2013 study in the Journal of Physiology. HIIT-style workouts tend to maintain adherence to their routine due to the variety of motions involved, the study shows.

Rosante suggests choosing a preferred activity like running, cycling, dancing, or rowing and engaging in full effort short bursts alternated with the same exercise at lower intensities for HIIT.

Wrap up the work week with total-body strength training. Major muscle groups like your quads, glutes, hamstrings, chest, and upper back, including the core, should be your target areas, encourages Rosante. Specifically, focus on heavier compound lifts working multiple muscle groups. Core exercises like the plank and its variations or the Paloff press are also worthwhile.

While HIIT workouts are increasingly popular for their numerous benefits, the importance of steady-state cardio should not be underrated. A 2017 study suggested that a mere two hours of running each week could significantly increase your life span, promoting running as a key feature of a weekly workout schedule. A similar study in 2017 conducted at the University of Glasgow revealed cycling could also increase longevity and cut down the risks of cancer and heart disease by nearly half.

Sunday is your much-needed rest day, so don't forget to use it to foam roll and stretch. 'Think of fitness as a lifelong experience,' says Rilinger. 'When you're younger, you feel invincible and ignore the warning signs. Giving your body the time it needs to recover means you can stay in the game longer.'