Are We There Yet? Or: How Long Does it Take to Reach My Fitness Goal?

The human body likes activity. In one to two weeks you are rewarded with increased energy and better sleep. At the same time the body also likes to conserve energy. The body needs to be convinced that you are serious about cleaning up your nutrition and increasing your physical activity level.

One way to convince your body to change is to exercise frequently and intensely enough to force a response. If you only exercise two times per week the body does not really have to adapt to anything. Because there is a long time between workouts there is ample time for the body to recover. Infrequent exercise sessions tell the body that you are not serious and therefore there is no need to use a lot of energy adapting.

Weight loss depends on frequency, intensity, and mode of exercise. Cardiovascular exercise is an important part of any weight loss or health goal. A healthy cardiovascular system decreases the risk for chronic disease and supports recreational activities. But it is just as important to include strength training to maintain and/or increase muscle. Muscle is very important for overall bone health (in both men and women), injury prevention, calorie usage, and shape.

The minimum number of exercise sessions needed is three per week at an intensity level of moderate to high for 60 minutes per session. If you are serious about long term weight loss and health then you will need to include cardiovascular activity and strength training. It is important to address both of these exercise components in addition to flexibility.

Weight loss also depends on sound nutrition. Many people try to lose weight through cutting down what and how much they eat. For many this works very well until the body adapts to the new calorie level and stops weight loss. The amount of calories that are cut can be very difficult to maintain for long and soon old habits return. That is why it is much more effective to combine moderate exercise and moderate calorie restriction to lose weight.

A balanced program of exercise, flexibility, and nutrition is the best plan for weight loss and health. You have to set reasonable goals and plan ahead in order to achieve your best. It is never too late to start your journey to better health.