I used to "commit" to doing 5 days of cardio (one hour) and three days of weight lifting (about 45 to 1 hours). However, I never lasted. My longest period of doing this was a little over a year.
Fast forward years later, and I decided this go round that I would not force myself to commit to anything other than "one hour of activity" per day. Sometimes, I walk, if I feel like going to a fitness class at the gym I will, and if I do none of that and just house clean energetically for an hour I will. I refuse to feel any guilt if my "activity" isn't the usual gym-type formal exercise. I've learned that 80% of the weight loss equation is what I eat (the other part is 10% genetics and 10% general activity). I try to stay active otherwise. I like to multi-task so when I'm waiting around for something at home (e.g., the coffee to brew), I'll start folding the clothes in the dryer or washing the dishes in the sink. I stay busy.
To me, the right amount of exercise for you is the amount that you can commit to consistently without feeling so much dread that you'll quit. I feel as if I've found my "sweet-spot" concerning exercise, and it may take some experimenting with time and types of activities to find yours.
Last edited by lin43; 09-13-2011 at 05:18 PM.
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