Sam Wood weighs in: How much do we really need to exercise?

With almost two decades of experience in the fitness industry, I feel like I’ve heard it all when it comes to the “best ways” to train. Whether it’s spending 60 minutes in a spin room, two hours lifting weights or smashing out 10 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to see results, there are plenty of confusing and conflicting “facts” out there from so-called experts who insist that they have all the answers.

In reality, all they’re doing is making it seriously confusing to work out what to do and who to trust. So with this in mind, I thought I’d debunk the myths surrounding how much and how often you really need to exercise to see results, and what to keep in mind when figuring out what will work for you.

It’s not about how long you train \
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the line “I just don’t have enough time to exercise”. Trust me, I get it, life is busy. There is still always time. And guess what? You don’t need to take hours out of your day. You don’t even need one hour. Twenty-eight minutes is enough for you to see results, while still leaving you with enough time to do the things you love and spend time with your friends and family – the things that matter the most.

Twenty-eight minutes can actually be more beneficial for your health and fitness than extended periods of exercise. Short bursts of HIIT lead our body into excess post-oxygen consumption (EPOC). EPOC is a process that raises your resting metabolic rate for 24 hours or more, meaning you’ll continue to burn fat even when you’ve finished your workout, and you’re sitting on the couch. This is why I recommend short bursts of hard work as opposed to a 60-minute jog.

Consistency is key \
With exercise, consistency and frequency beat volume every time. Squeezing in 28 minutes every day will help you feel healthier, give you more energy and in conjunction with a healthy, wholefood diet achieve the results you’re looking for. So if you’re a time-strapped corporate hotshot, a flat-out mum or just seriously time poor, look at every free moment as an opportunity. Got 30 minutes to yourself in the morning or in your lunch break? Perfect, squeeze in a jog around your area. You can juuuust make it to that class at your gym after work if you leave by 5.30 on the dot? Great!

Finding ways to fit exercise into your day when you can will make a huge difference and become a habit that is an effortless part of your routine. I recommend aiming for three to four workouts a week. The important thing is that you remember that something is always better than nothing, so if it’s only 14 minutes , that’s still 14 minutes you might have spent sitting on the couch.

Increase the intensity \
Simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy. A short workout is most effective when you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. This is why you should try to up the intensity and get sweaty. A high-intensity workout that will ensure you see results should have you working at 80 or 90 per cent of your total capacity.

Variety is the spice of life \
When you think about it, 28 minutes a day sounds totally achievable. In reality, what happens when the time rolls around to actually do your workout can be completely different. A huge component of my training philosophy is about ensuring that there is variety. If you let your workouts become repetitive and boring, that’s when you’ll start to become uninterested, lose motivation and perhaps fall off the exercise bandwagon. You should try to find different workouts that you love, mix them up now and then and keep your body guessing.

I love seeing that look of surprise and delight when I tell my 28ers that yes, 28 is truly the magic number. It really does give you bang for your buck. Remember, it’s often the little things that lead to the biggest results.

28bysamwood.com