The “minimum effective dose” effect

Jun 28, 2022

by Kim Bouldin

We’ve been talking a lot about moderation this month, so far mostly about food … but guess what?

Moderation ALSO applies to exercise and your workouts.

The old days of “no pain, no gain” are definitely in our rear-view mirror. Instead, it’s about the “minimum effective dose” for results.

That means getting just enough exercise to maintain or improve your fitness, without overdoing it (especially when it comes to long or super-intense workouts).

More is definitely NOT better, for so many reasons.

Some of those reasons might surprise you:

It can set you up for injury
Your body needs time to recover between workouts
It can lead to burnout
It can make you feel hungry
It can make you tired, which means you’re less active the rest of the day, burning fewer calories than would have without exercising, and
Doing too many long or super-intense workouts is not good for your heart

The key is to find the right mix for your fitness level, your goals, and your likes/dislikes.

Your fitness prescription (recommended by the AHA):

Strength training that hits all your major muscle groups at least twice a week.
For cardio,150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity every week, spread out over the course of the week.
PLUS … health experts recommend cutting back on how much time you spend sitting or lying around.

If it sounds confusing – it isn’t!

It works out to just 5 x 30-minute moderate-intensity sessions (walks, jogs, cardio machines, classes, etc.), OR 3 x 25-minute higher-intensity workouts a week, and two strength-oriented workouts.

Of course, you always want to check with your doctor before you start a new exercise or fitness program.

If you don’t want to take the time to design your own plan and go through all of the trial and error…

And want to tap into a PROVEN plan to get feel better and have more energy, our Fab Fit Method program can help you put it all together in a way that works for your lifestyle. I’ve set aside time for 5 FREE goal-mapping sessions. They’ll probably go pretty fast, so if you want one, book your call asap.

Committed to your health,

Kim Bouldin

REFERENCE:

www.heart.org/en/beyond-the-table/stories/even-with-exercise-moderation-is-the-key