Twice a day, Every day?
Three Times a Week?
Five Times a Week?
Every day?
What would be ideal? (I'm sure it's dependent on goals...)
When is it too much? (Kelly Ripa just got a stress fracture on her hip from abusing exercise...)
Your thoughts? And why you have those thoughts? :)
I currently run for 45 minutes about 4 days a week. I'm training for a 5K in the spring.
I've been having horrible shin splints recently, so I wonder if I am overdoing it. That doesn't seem possible with only the amount I am doing now, but I suppose that must be what it is.
depends on the time of year but usually once a day for 4-6 days a week. might do more during the summer months or when I'm training for something. last summer training for my first ironman triathlon I think I maxed out at 10-11hrs per week working out.
ideal 6 days a week maybe 1-2 double workout days (swim AM run or bike in PM) probably couldn't handle more than 15hrs per week with family and work obligations
you have to listen to your body if it is screaming out for rest then it by all means take a day off or a very easy day. for most exercises you have to start out small and gradually increase the volume/distance (or weights) over weeks. too much or increasing too quickly can lead to an injury
have a goal then develop a sensible plan to get there. every workout should have purpose. follow and trust your plan BUT pay attention to your body and NEVER EVER train through pain. pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong
4 or 5 times/ week, occasionally I will do 6 times, or more than once/ day but that's pretty unusual and would include something like a bike ride to the store or something like that. I do more if I'm lifting weights b/c I can alternate that w/ the cardio stuff without killing myself but my shoulder gets messed up when I paint and I just painted a couple of weeks ago so I'm taking a break. I'm trying to alternate running and elliptical and that seems to be working out nicely but I'm only doing that for a couple of weeks. I agree too much of anything can lead to injuries and that breaks are critical too.
I have read several running books and both Jeff Galloway and John "The Penguin" Bingham both advocate mixing walking and running because you can run a lot more productively with a lower risk of injuries. Jeff also notes that if you are > 40 (I am 43...) you shouldn't run every day. I still do sometimes b/c I am a weather whore and always feel like I have to go on really nice days.
I like to exercise b/c 1) I like the buzz 2) I like to get away and run/bike w/ ipod as it's really relaxing 3) I like going to the doctor and having them pat me on the head. This probably sounds idiotic but well, it feels good too.
how old are your shoes? are they running shoes? how quickly did you start running at 45minutes shin splnts occur when people start increasing mileage too quickly.
check this link from RW about shin injuries. hope that helps
http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/toolscontent/0,7156,s6-241-290-291-6900-0,00.html?toolName=What Hurts?
Do you know how many miles are on your shoes? They wear out and need to be replaced at least every year, maybe more frequently if you wear them around for regular, non-running use too.
I had started walking regularly when I weighed 275 lbs (2006ish?) and had some heavy guy w/ ankle problems (sprained playing soccer in high school, right before I got dx'ed...I got the cast off when hostitalized for hyperglycemia...) and had the same shoes when I started running in 2008 and got BRUTAL shin splints. I went to a local running store that had treadmills, so you could try different shoes on each foot and found the shoes that were the most comfortable and it really helped.
I also studied martial arts and we did these ankle rotations where you sit on the floor and spin your ankle through it's full rom in both directions holding your toes? This seems to help a bit. A third remedy for that is compression socks. I had nasty cramps in my calves from sprinting (to raise my BG when it dropped on longer runs...) that the compression socks cured. They also seem to stave off shin splints nicely and are also good for recovery.
Every day.
Tues-Thur-Fri-Sunday - run
Mon-Weds - stretching, strength, calisthenics
Saturday - yoga
Shin splints - don't try to run through them. Take it easy for a while, reduce mileage and read the article recommended above by Joe_h.
I started exercising to help my BG control. I was basically a couch potato before diagnosis eight years ago. Now I exercise for pretty much the same reasons as acidrock23.
A day without exercise is like a day without sunshine for me. And I exercise come rain or come shine.
As for overdoing it - listen to your body. If it hurts - STOP! Some mild discomfort or fatigue is normal. Some mild persistent soreness after exercising is normal. Constant soreness or pain, limited motion, sharp pains, pain on particular movement (e.g. it hurts when I do this) are signs of injury. Slow down, take it easy, apply ice/heat, see a physician. I'd also say that unless you're a competitive athlete, pro or amateur, or you're training for an upcoming event, over 90 minutes a day is overdoing it. But that's me.
Terry
LOL...well....I am an exercise freak. Whenever my blood sugar is not in range I walk/run or ride the exercise bike for 10-15 minutes. I eat small "meals" about 4-5 times a day and I exercise for 10-15 minutes everytime I eat and then before bed. In total everyday I end up riding the exercise bike 1 hour to 1 hour and a half everyday. Is this excessive? lol This is the only way I have to control my blood sugars, it is exhausting sometimes but it works.
Would say that variety is the spice of life? Like... It makes it easier not getting injured, or even makes it easier to be able to be active every day without getting too overworked?
I don't know... From what I've read on this thread, it is an intuitive thing. If your body tells you you're overdoing it, then you're overdoing it...
clearly I need to stop painting our house!
he he! :)
Really depends on the day/week! I am a first grade teacher so I am on my feet and moving all day. Some days I feel that's enough. Other days I visit the YMCA and work out. It probably averages out to 3-4 days a week during the school-year, about 6 days a week in the summer/over breaks. Usually at the YMCA for a 45-60 minute workout.
I exercise 5-6 days a week for about an hour (although yesterday I did a 2 mile walk and then a 12-mile bike ride, that was unusual).
"Too much" = when you hurt yourself, get really anxious if you don't have a chance to exercise, or if it interferes with your life activities. I've been in that place. I used to do 90 minutes on the stairmaster going full blast in the morning, then a mile swim or a 4-mile walk in the afternoon. Daily. I would suffer mentally if I didn't do it.
Hey Joe,
Thanks for the tips. My shoes are new (25 miles). I've added some heel wedges inside of my shoes and it seems to be helping.
Oddly enough, walking fast seems to make the shin splints hurt far worse than jogging. It seems like when I slow to a walk, they get far more painful.
Whoops...you just described me to a T....
but my blood sugar seems to depend on it..
I go 3 days on, 1 day off, schedule permitting. So, 5 to 6 times a week, 40 minutes interval training and 1 to 2 hours of weights.
And I think you are absolutely right about the ideal, it depends a lot on your goals. Ultimately, your goals determine your schedule. My goals are to maintain consistent BGs, increase or at least maintain my insulin sensitivity, try to extend my high activity years as far into my lifetime as possible, and to have as much fun as possible doing all these things.
I think too much is whatever amount becomes detrimental to achieving your goals. About ten years ago, I tried to come back and train seriously for masters level track and field. The mind was willing, but the body just couldn't recover like I was 25 anymore. I ended up tearing my Achilles tendon, probably due to cumulative damage from overtraining.
3 on, 1 off works for me now because any more and I'll suffer during workouts and feel less than recovered on some days. Any less, and the inconsistency shows in my BG control. My weight will also fluctuate a lot more the less consistent I am.
I'm pretty cyclic with my habits, but my goal is usually 4 runs a week and one day of circuit training. My distance varies a lot more, anything from 5-13 miles. Ideally, I'd like to work up to longer and/or more consistent runs but it's something that I'll have to work on. My biggest obstacle has been that I don't like to plan a pre-set distance or pace unless there are time constraints. Any type of performance pressure tends to work tension into my legs and that never ends well. But the lack of planning really prevents me from doing much more because carb and hydration requirements need to followed a lot more strictly than I follow now. Too much? I try to let my body decide. Too many times we ignore what our body tells us in order to do what we want it to do. You gotta listen to it, but it's hard when our mind is so noisy!
Have you read Chi Running? It sounds hokey, but it was actually helpful for me. Tuning up my form got rid of my sore calves and shin splints. I also reduced my average pace by almost 30 sec/mile the first time out. There are only 2 chapters that are truly useful, and I've only incorporated maybe 2-3 of the dozen or so points, but it helped me a lot. It takes a lot of work though if you run as poorly as I did, lol. His nutritional advice and other stuff is useless, and I'm just not evolved enough to go head first into Tai Chi though I could probably use it...
I haven't read it although I've seen it. I have the Galloway books and think my form is not too bad. I have always been inclined to run as fast as I can but have stopped that pretty recently (since Thanksgiving and the Turkey Trot!) I have a Garmin 405 which is a great pacing gizmo and I'm really working on slowing down. I have spent all day today working on a slower playlist! I'm up to "J" now...