Is 30 minutes per day enough?
It can be, if your workout is intense enough.
“My question would be: ‘What is the intensity of the 30 minutes?’ If we’re trying to reduce risk and people have 30 minutes, it matters how they use them,” said Becky Cobb, CPA and certified health coach, president of Personally Fit in Moraine. “I would agree that we would like for Americans to move more, but if they’re only going to work out for 30 minutes, it better be a focused 30 minutes.”
Cobb suggested interval training as a way to make the most of a 30-minute workout. Interval training is a type of workout that combines multiple activities of varying degrees of intensity.
If you’re new to exercise, then 30 minutes can also be a good way to work up to a longer program.
Mike Moorman, owner of Absolute Fitness in Kettering, said, “I agree that 30 minutes of exercise is generally not enough for most healthy people. However, I do feel that certain populations who are unconditioned would still benefit from 30 minutes a day but should work up to more time: 45 minutes to 60 minutes of cardio exercise, once they build up their cardio endurance.”
Exercising for heart health
It’s important to have your health and fitness goals in mind when creating an exercise routine. This will help either you or your personal trainer tailor a program that will help you reach the fitness level you’re looking for.
If you’ve had heart issues or are under a doctor’s care, be sure to tell any personal trainers you work with right away. “We do a screening before we start with people, a medical and lifestyle history,” Cobb said, adding that a physician’s release can be required if you have serious risk factors for heart disease.
“All the disclaimers apply. If someone is going for cardiovascular health, there’s going to be a part that gets very stressful for the heart,” Cobb said. “We have formulas and ways to deal with an undulating cardio program, so you get the heart more fit.”
So what does a heart healthy workout look like?
Moorman said, “Typically, our programs for healthy adults will consist of 45 to 60 minutes of exercise per day. Usually three to four days a week of strength training for 30 to 40 minutes, followed by cardiovascular exercise 20 to 30 minutes. On days where we don’t do strength training, we recommend 45 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, where we will work in different heart rate zones, cardiovascular training zone (75 percent and above of max heart rate to help build cardio endurance), followed by a lower intensity period at 60-70 percent for fat burning.”
Vary your routine
Our experts agree that varying your routine is the way to keep healthy. “I always recommend that people do all kinds of things. People don’t get well roundly fit doing just one thing,” Cobb said.
“Your body gets very adapted to exercise and will plateau quickly if it’s not challenged with new stimuli,” Moorman said. “Really, all it is is an old principal called periodization, which is progressive cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period. Basically, individuals need to change their weight training programs up, exercises and weights frequently, along with types of cardio. Try new things instead.”
Alternating your workouts is also important for letting your muscles rest. This is particularly important if you’re focusing on heart health. Cobb discussed the importance of giving certain muscle groups a rest while working out others. It’s essential to give your heart a rest, especially if you have risk factors.
Many types of exercise can be cardiovascular, so it’s best to do serious work toward heart health under the supervision of a professional trainer. “Cardiovascular endurance training comes down to your heart rate, not so much the type of exercise,” Moorman said. “Your max heart rate is figured at 220 minus your age. Anything above 75 percent of your max heart rate would be working into a cardiovascular zone. However, I do recommend for people who are new training in the higher heart rate zone to do small bursts into the zone … . Bring the heart rate up into a cardiac training zone for a few minutes and then drop it back down for a rest. People should only do what they feel comfortable with doing, working themselves up gradually.”
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