Recommended fitness frequency for women

For the vast majority of healthy adult women, 3-5 times a week for 30-90 minutes of exercise is the optimal solution based on the three dimensions of comprehensive health benefits, body shaping efficiency, and long-term sustainability. However, this number is by no means an iron rule that must be adhered to - the frequency that suits you must always be dynamically adjusted according to your physical condition, fitness goals, and life rhythm. There is no standard answer.

Nowadays, when browsing fitness posts, you will always see two extreme opinions. On the one hand, professional athletes or bloggers who prepare for competitions post their 6-training schedule every day. They say that skipping one training session is equivalent to practicing in vain.； On the other side is a popular science account focusing on lightweight fitness. It says that exercising twice a week is enough, but doing more will harm the body. Both statements are correct, but the premise is that you must first find out whether the applicable group they are talking about is you.

I used to know a friend who competed in the women's bikini event. During the three-month preparation period, he practiced six days a week. He climbed stairs for 40 minutes on an empty stomach in the morning, went to the gym for 1.5 hours of strength training in the afternoon, and even increased his training to two exercises a day before the competition. But her goal is to go on stage and win awards, her body fat must be reduced to less than 15%, and her muscle lines must be clear enough. This training frequency is tailored to match her diet, supplements, and recovery plan. If ordinary people don't have this goal, it is common for her to practice until her aunt runs away and her cortisol spikes.

On the other hand, the saying "two exercises a week is enough" is more suitable for girls who have no need for body shaping and just want to improve the back pain caused by sitting for a long time and maintain their basal metabolism. For example, after my mother retired, she and her younger sisters went to square dance twice a week for an hour each time. Her shoulder and neck pain was indeed improved a lot, and her sleep quality also improved. For her, this frequency is just right, and there is no need to force herself to practice more. There are also mothers who have just given birth and their pelvic floor muscles have not yet fully recovered. Don’t follow other people’s five-week exercise plan. Start with low-intensity Kegel exercises and abdominal breathing twice a week and slowly increase the amount. This is much better than forcing yourself to practice to solve the problems of urinary leakage and organ prolapse.

When I first got into fitness two years ago, I fell into the trap of being obsessed with frequency. At that time, I followed the hard schedule of "5 exercises a week for high-efficiency body shaping plan" posted by the blogger. Even if I worked overtime until 11 o'clock the day before, I still had to get up and report to the gym the next day. As a result, I persisted for less than two months. My aunt postponed the exercise for 18 days. Her hair fell out in handfuls, and she gained 3 pounds on the scale. Later, I asked my friends who were doing exercise rehabilitation and found out that I was already under a lot of work pressure during that time, and the hard training made my cortisol remain high for a long time. I lost muscle and accumulated fat. I was just looking for trouble for myself. Later, I reduced the frequency to three times a week. When I was in good condition, I would practice once more. When I was tired, I would just lie down at home. Instead, in three months, I developed the vest line that I had not developed for half a year before. My aunt was also very punctual.

In fact, women’s physiological characteristics have already determined it. We don’t need to stick to a fixed training frequency like men. Hormones fluctuate greatly during the menstrual cycle. During the luteal phase, you are prone to fatigue, irritability, and loss of strength. If you force yourself to hit weights as planned during this time, not only will the training effect be poor, but you will also be particularly vulnerable to injury. Now every time I reach the luteal phase, I will lower the training intensity by one level. I used to do 60kg deadlift for hip training. During that time, I use 30kg to find a sense of strength, or simply switch to low-intensity exercises such as walking and yoga, which will not delay the progress at all.

If your current goal is to shape your body, for example, if you want to improve the width of your false hips, improve your hip line, or change your rounded shoulders and hunchback, then strength training 3-4 times a week is the most cost-effective. Don't be greedy, leave at least 48 hours to rest after training the same part. Muscles grow when you rest, not when you push hard in the gym. Several girls around me go to the gym every day to train their buttocks. After half a year of training, their buttocks lines have not increased much. The knee problems first occurred because they did not give the muscles enough time to recover.

Oh, by the way, there is another topic that has been discussed for a long time: Will girls become King Kong Barbies if they practice too hard? In fact, I really worry too much. Women's testosterone levels are only one-twentieth of men's, and it is much more difficult to build muscle than men. Even if you practice 5 times a week, doing paddling and aerobics every time, and not touching weights at all, you won't be able to grow much muscle. On the other hand, if you only train three times a week, but every time you pay attention to weight and keep up with your diet, the muscles you gain will only make your waist slimmer, your hips more upturned, and your clothes look better. It is impossible to become a "muscular woman".

In fact, there is really no need to stick to other people's fitness schedules, and there is no need to be anxious just because you missed one workout this week. Fitness is meant to add color to life, not to add more KPIs to you. If you get off work early today and have enough energy, practice for half an hour more ； Today, if I get scolded by my boss, or my aunt is in pain and I can’t straighten my back, I just lie down and eat something I like, and there’s no problem at all. The frequency that allows you to persist for a long time and feel comfortable instead of exhausted after practicing is the best frequency for you.