Working Out 1 Hour a Day. Working out is an activity that some people love, and others dread due to the effort and time that it can demand. It is able to help people improve their health, increase self-confidence, and increase energy. The real question is if the time invested in exercising has a dramatic impact on a person’s general health.
Working out every day for an hour can lead to many health benefits, including higher metabolism, muscle growth, and a decrease in the chance of developing chronic diseases. An hour of exercise a day is often done by people with more intense health goals, such as weight loss or muscle bulking.
Now that we have this general understanding of what happens if someone works out for one hour a day, it is important to delve into the different questions that surround working out for one hour a day.
Is 1 hour of Exercise a day Good?
Yes, working out for an hour a day is more than enough time if a person is working out daily and taking no rest days. The Department of Health and Human Services gives these guidelines about exercise and what is good for the body. When it comes to exercising, they recommend doing two types of exercises: cardio and strength.
Including cardio
Cardio is when a person gets their heart beating quickly for a period of time. They classify cardio into different levels known as moderate and vigorous cardio. Moderate cardio exercises are exercises that make a person’s heart beat more than normal but not pound.
Examples of this type of cardio include brisk walking, swimming, biking, or even work around the house that takes more physical effort like yard work. Vigorous cardio on the other hand is an exercise that causes the heart to pound and beat much more than normal. Some examples of things that are considered vigorous cardio include running, Zumba, or other types of dances.
The general recommendation is to do 150 minutes of moderate cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio a week. The numbers can be shifted to meet a person’s needs and likes when exercising. There are some people who highly value and enjoy running and others who would rather swim. Both are good and necessary for maintaining good health.
Another important type of exercise is strength training. Strength training is when someone uses weight or resistance to strengthen a muscle group. It is recommended people do strength training twice a week with all the major muscle groups.
When considering the higher time invested into exercise it can help people lose or maintain weight loss. The recommended amount of time for people with that goal is 300 minutes a week, or about an hour a day, five days a week.
How Much Weight Does the Average Person Lose?
One woman described her weight loss experience in positive and enlightening terms. She went from an inactive lifestyle to running for an hour every single day. She mentioned how rough it was to get up and go and run, but she also highlighted the confidence that she felt.
She noticed that she almost instantly felt more alive and happier at work and home. She felt more put together and organized. She woke up and was excited to work out by the end. When it came to weight loss, she lost four pounds in her first month. The best part was that she noticed a big difference and was happy with her progress!
For most people, working out for an hour daily will lead to about 4.5 pounds of weight loss. This is caused by the number of calories being burned. During the hour of cardio, the average number of calories burned is 511 calories.
During an hour of strength training, the average number of calories burned is 218. The biggest way to increase weight loss when paired with exercise is to reduce calorie intake. When a person does this, it leads to people being able to lose 8.5 pounds on average instead of just 4.5 pounds.
It is always important to remember that everyone’s weight loss journey is inherently different. Weight loss is highly correlated to an individual’s metabolism, diet, genetics, and physical activity. The numbers listed above are averages and shouldn’t be something used as a determining factor of worth or the determining factor of health.
How Long Does it Take to See Results Working Out 1 Hour a Day?
It usually takes a while to see physical changes, but people can usually feel the emotional and mental changes much sooner. The average time it takes to see results is anywhere from 2-6 weeks. If someone already has a history of working out, results will probably come sooner.
An important thing to note is the fact that numbers are not always an accurate portrayal of a person’s health. Professionals argue that the best way to measure results is for people to notice how they feel and how they feel about their tone. Oftentimes, muscle gain might occur, which will keep a person’s weight the same or increase it. Thus, it is better to focus on the physical changes rather than a number change.
What Kind of Exercises are Most Effective?
Cardio is certainly the most effective type of exercise for weight loss because a person tends to burn more calories with cardio than with strength training.
However, both are necessary for having a healthy experience. The main tips to consider when creating a workout routine are to include exercises that improve endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Endurance exercises fit perfectly into cardio and should be done at a moderate pace for 150 minutes or a vigorous pace for 75 minutes minimally.
Strength training is best when done twice a week. Balance and flexibility are nice exercises to include in the calmer moments of the day or right before going to bed. Some of these exercises include yoga, stretching, and Pilates.
Final thoughts
Now that we understand the basics of working out for an hour and the correlated benefits, it’s just about going and following through on the exercise schedule. Good luck!