FindYourFitness

30/06/2025

𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱? 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴. 💤

If you’re constantly “kinda tired” but never fully recovered—or fully crushing your workouts—your weekly schedule is likely the culprit.

Most athletes spread out their hard sessions to “balance” training.
But here’s the truth:

👉 Frequent moderate stress = chronic fatigue
👉 Strategic big stress + deep recovery = real progress

The Fix? Stack your hard sessions. Then recover hard.

Here’s how to structure it:

📌 Group key workouts within 24–36 hours
📌 Follow with 48–72 hours of lower-stress recovery
📌 Use those high-fatigue days as anchors for your week
📌 Separate double sessions by 6+ hours to boost performance in both

Watch out for these Tier 1 stressors:

🏃‍♂️ Long intervals, fast-finish long runs, downhill work
🏋️ Squats, RDLs, heavy or high-volume leg work

They hit your brain, muscles, and nervous system hardest—so build around them.

Want a week that fits your life, goals, and energy levels?

🧠 Message us if you are interested in a fully personalized running Training Plan—built to help you train smart, recover well, and finally stop feeling “medium tired.”

FindYourFitness

26/02/2025

Very grateful to start the year with an accomplishment that had been on the bucket list for a while.

Decided to try the Delhi Marathon , to get my first taste of cooler / drier weather racing. Though 15 degrees is warm for many, it seemed perfect to freeze the Sub 3 result for me :)

Very happy to be able to do this off a short, simple training block with no injuries . Grateful for all the support from my family , friends and well-wishers.

With this Sub 3 I can now rest in peace, as a Sub 2 seems a bit out of reach 😅

31/01/2025

Excellent advice from the https://thegrowtheq.com espousing principles of exercise for health, longevity, and all-around life performance, that aligns with the mindset behind the coaching at www.findyourfitness.sg :

1. Do something long and easy three or more days per week:

How long? Shoot for a minimum of 30 minutes, but if you can build that up to 60 minutes, great! Why 30 minutes? Anything is better than nothing, but if you look at a long history of research from mice to humans on aerobic adaptations, 30 minutes is where you start to get the biggest gains, and taking that up to 60 minutes continues to accrue substantial benefits. There are still benefits to going longer than 60 minutes, especially if you enjoy what you’re doing, but the returns diminish once you hit the hour mark.

What type of exercise? Whatever you enjoy and can stick to consistently. Running, cycling, ellipticaling, rucking, ski-erging, swimming. Pick something you like doing and do that. How hard? This should be easy. You should be able to have a conversation, with just the slightest hint of needing to catch air. If you can’t maintain a conversation, you’re going too hard; slow down.

Also: don’t lose your mind trying to stay in “zone 2.” The truth is that zones are an arbitrary dividing point and are meant to help researchers categorize training. They aren’t laws. If you are feeling good on a certain day, it’s fine to go a touch harder. If you feel like trash, there is nothing wrong with slowing down. The whole point of easy training is accumulate enough volume where you can do it again and again, for weeks and months on end. Why three or more days per week? It’s a reasonable amount where you get most of the benefits for mental, physical, and cognitive health. If you enjoy it, do it more!

2. Strength train two days a week for 30 minutes or more:

What kind? Think compound movements that utilize lots of muscles. Squats, lunges, push ups, pull ups, wall sits, step ups, kettlebell swings. What you target depends on your goals. But for general health and overall life performance, you get nearly all of the benefits from compound movements.

If you are time crunched, you can work through a circuit where you alternate muscle groups with short breaks in between (e.g., squats to push ups to lunges to pull ups). As these circuits become easier, add some weight. You can use dumbbells, a weight vest (which can double for rucking), or a backpack filled with books. Get creative and think progressive overload (gradually adding stimulus as you improve). Sets and reps? There are dozens of set and rep schemes out there. Some push more towards growing muscle size, others toward speed and power. But for general health, you don’t need to get lost in the details. The basic gist is that with whatever strength routine you use, you should have between 2 and 4 reps in the tank when you finish. You’re not trying to be Brad and see how much you can deadlift. You are looking for a moderate, doable challenge. If you’re older, throw in some balance and stability work in a brief warmup.

For example, Caitlin, Brad’s wife, has the following strength training routine:

She does five to eight movements from a menu of goblet squats, dumbbell rows, push-ups, crunches, reverse lunges, planks, wall sits, kettlebell deadlifts, dumbbell overhead presses, calf raises, curls, lateral delt raises, bird-dog holds. She does 3 sets of each movement and she aims for 8 to 12 repetitions. She often breaks it down into two or three circuits. She does this three days per week in the basement and each day takes about 25 minutes. Her only equipment: 25 and 50 pound kettlebells; 5, 12, and 15 pound dumbbells; and a bench.

3. One day per week, go (kind of) hard.

What does “hard” consist of? Usually harder sessions are done with interval training. But here’s the beauty…there is no magical interval training. You can do short and fast, longer and a bit slower, with long rest or short rest, jogging or standing. Every interval workout has a slightly different stimulus, but for health the most important thing is that you do something somewhat hard. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that there is a special interval training workout that is the best. That’s a lie. We have 120 years of training history that shows we can attain similar benefits with a variety of intervals. It’s all about how you manipulate the variables (intensity, duration, and recovery)

How hard? About a 7 or 8 out of 10. Or feel like you could do 1 or 2 more intervals. You aren’t lying down on the track, gasping for air, feeling like you are going to throw up. The reality is, if you were training for performance, you would only very rarely go to this place anyways. If you are training for health, you benefit most from going hard, but not so hard that you are completely spent.

Start simple and easy: The reality is this. The hard and higher intensity work is the icing on the cake. In fact, research and training history

04/01/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘁, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀!

When it comes to weight goals—whether it’s shedding fat or gaining muscle—the fitness world is full of confusing advice and quick fixes that don’t last. Let’s cut through the noise. Whether you want to slim down or bulk up, a 300 to 500-calorie adjustment is the key to sustainable progress. Here’s how.

Lose Weight with a 300 to 500-Calorie Deficit

Think weight loss has to involve starvation or drastic diets? Think again. A 300 to 500-calorie daily deficit is manageable, sustainable, and effective. It helps you lose around 0.5 kg per week, targeting fat while sparing muscle.

Why Focus on Protein?

Protein is your secret weapon for weight loss. It keeps you full, helps maintain muscle mass, and has a higher thermogenic effect, meaning your body burns more calories digesting protein than it does with carbs or fats.

Try this high-protein meal replacement shake:

1 scoop whey-casein protein blend (25g protein)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 handful spinach

1/2 cup frozen berries

1/4 avocado

Calories & Macros: ~300 calories (Protein: 30g, Carbs: 20g, Fat: 10g)

Other Tips to Hit Your Deficit:

Cut Liquid Calories: Swap sugary drinks for water, herbal tea, or black coffee.

Portion Control: Reduce portions of calorie-dense foods like rice, pasta, and nuts.

Add Movement: Incorporate brisk walks or light strength training to burn additional calories.

With this approach, you’re not just losing weight—you’re fueling your body with nutrients, keeping hunger at bay, and making fat loss sustainable.

Gain Muscle with a 300 to 500-Calorie Surplus

Bulking doesn’t have to mean gaining excess fat. A 300 to 500-calorie surplus is the sweet spot for building muscle efficiently without packing on unnecessary weight. With this approach, most experienced lifters can gain 1–2 pounds of muscle per month while keeping fat gain minimal.

Why Avoid the Dirty Bulk?

Overeating doesn’t speed up muscle growth—it just increases fat storage. In fact, trying to gain weight too quickly often results in 75% of the weight gain being fat. By sticking to a moderate surplus, you allow your body to build muscle at the optimal rate.

Add this muscle-building shake to your daily routine:

2 scoops whey-casein protein blend

1 medium banana

2 tablespoons natural nut butter

16 oz water (or use a frozen banana for creaminess)

Calories & Macros: ~520 calories (Protein: 53g, Carbs: 46g, Fat: 17g)

Non-Linear Bulking for Fat-Prone Individuals:

Weekdays: Stick to the 500-calorie surplus (add the shake).

Weekends: Return to maintenance calories by skipping the shake.

This strategy ensures steady muscle gain while minimizing fat storage.

The Takeaway

Whether you’re aiming to lose weight or gain muscle this year, remember that it’s not about extremes—it’s about balance and sustainability. A 300 to 500-calorie adjustment, paired with smart nutrition and consistent exercise, is all you need to reach your goals.

Which path are you taking this year? Whether you’re shedding fat or adding muscle, stay consistent, stay patient, and let the results follow!

10/12/2024

Running is a powerful tool for transformation—not just physically but mentally. Yet, too often, runners fall into the trap of under-fueling in a quest to look lean or "serious." The truth? Strong runners are well-fed runners. This excellent article, breaks down how proper nutrition, smart training, and balanced recovery can not only elevate your performance but also help you enjoy the process while building a body that’s healthy and resilient.

The consequences of low energy availability.

01/12/2024

...And with this SCSM half marathon, it's a wrap for the year. 1:26:26 official time as I started my watch late in the mad chaos and rush of Pen C.
Didn't feel as strong in the first half but could pick it up quite a bit at the end. This is far from my best in 2019 but each race's circumstances are different , not to mention that for me this time is a great ROI based on the number of hours I put into running now :)
Very happy for both Ting and Fei (who I coach )to have met their goals today 💪💪

23/11/2024

These trio will never go out of style:
✅ Consistency
✅ Steady B+ workouts over mind-blowing A+ workouts
✅ Mindful Fueling, Rest & Recovery

25/10/2024

𝐖𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐬—𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦? 🏃‍♂️💥

Recovery runs aren't just about taking it easy—they’re essential for faster recovery and injury prevention! Here's why:

👉🏼 Hard training depletes muscle glycogen 🏋️‍♂️, the energy fuel your muscles need.
👉🏼 Without proper replenishment, you’ll struggle to train at peak performance and increase your risk of injury 🚑.
👉🏼 While complete rest might seem like the answer, light exercise boosts blood flow and accelerates glycogen recovery 🩸.
👉🏼 Recovery runs allow your body to rebuild glycogen while keeping active—without overloading your system 💪.

✅𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲? 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧 🕒.
✅𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭! 𝟑𝟎-𝟒𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 ⏱️. 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝟔𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲.
✅ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲.
✅𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫? 🎉 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭!

Oh, and don’t forget: Supplement recovery runs with a good, balanced diet 🍎. This is not the time to skimp on carbs 🍝—you need them to restore energy!

Recovery runs + proper nutrition = faster recovery and long-term success. Keep it slow, short, and balanced! 🌟

25/10/2024

💥 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 “𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸” 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗻𝗲𝘄: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 💥

It’s called Muscle Cross-Education, and it’s one of the most incredible things about how our bodies work! 💪

💡 Here’s the scoop:
👉 When you train one arm or leg, the other one gets stronger—even if it’s not doing anything! 😲

Sounds too good to be true? Science says it’s real. In a study, participants trained one wrist while the other was in a cast. Guess what? The non-exercised wrist retained strength, while those who didn’t train lost a whopping 21.6% of their strength in the casted wrist.

𝐒𝐨, 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 🦾🦿

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸! 💥

📖 Read more about this amazing phenomenon in the Journal of Applied Physiology!

13/10/2024

Why “Empty Calories” Leave You Feeling So… Empty!!

White bread, your kid’s leftover Halloween candy, and those crunchy morsels sprayed with fake BBQ flavor all share something in common.

Not long after gulping them down, you’re hungry again.

There are many reasons for this “I just ate and want more” phenomenon. Here’s one of them:

Too much junk food can disrupt leptin.


A hormone released by fat tissue, leptin tells your brain:

✅ How much energy you’ve consumed

✅ How much excess energy is stored in your fat cells

Your brain uses that information to turn hunger and metabolism up or down.

Assuming you’re well nourished, leptin will tell you when you’ve had enough.

Problem is:

Eating too many highly-processed foods and too few minimally-processed whole foods can disrupt leptin.

Diets rich in hyper-palatable, ultra-processed foods seem to…

👉 Injure and inflame the cells in the hypothalamus, the part of your brain that regulates food intake and energy output.

👉 Mess with your microbiome, which also causes hypothalamic inflammation.

Hypothalamic inflammation can then lead to leptin resistance.

When this happens…

Your brain tunes out the leptin.

Now, your brain thinks it doesn’t have enough leptin. That means…

✅ Your brain needs fat cells to get bigger and produce more leptin.

✅ So you feel hungry. Regular portion sizes are no longer satisfying.

✅ And as a result... you gain fat.

Here’s a bit of welcome news:

You don’t have to 100 percent cancel junk food.

As long as most of your diet comes from minimally-processed whole foods, you should be able to keep leptin signaling working correctly.

10-Second Takeaways

Deep brain physiology helps to drive what, when, and how much you eat.
In addition to brain signaling, two physiological factors work together to tell you to put down your fork and call it quits: gastric distension and hormonal satiation.
Certain foods can help you fill up on fewer calories. These include low-energy and high-fiber foods, such as vegetables, beans, and legumes.
Don’t worry about occasional junk food indulgences. What really matters to your weight and overall health is what you eat consistently every day.
Completely avoiding so called junk foods usually does the opposite of what you want: You often end up overeating or bingeing on those “banned” foods.

09/10/2024

𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐡𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭-𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

🚨 Plenty of research reveals that delaying carbs after exercise can impair recovery and reduce next-day performance—even if your glycogen levels are eventually replenished. It turns out, post-workout carbs do more than just restore energy.

🧠 What’s happening? Your body and brain rely on carbs for recovery beyond glycogen replenishment. When you skip or delay them, you’re making the next workout feel harder, increasing perceived exertion, and limiting how well you perform—even though your muscles might have enough stored energy.

💡 Here’s how to make sure you’re recovering right:

Don’t wait—refuel within 30-60 minutes post-workout. This is when your body is most sensitive to absorbing nutrients, and getting in those carbs, protein, and fats quickly will help jumpstart recovery. Delaying too long (3+ hours) could leave you struggling the next day.

Here are some Quick meal ideas:

A. Chocolate milk or a banana ( this can be had immediately after your run/ training/ workout and it kick starts the recovery process before you can get in a balanced meal ). This is the one we find easiest to implement with very little planning. You can then follow up with any options similar to the ones below within the next 1 hour.
B1. A smoothie with banana, spinach, and protein powder.
B2. A bowl with brown rice, grilled chicken, and avocado.
B3. A whole-grain wrap with turkey, veggies, and hummus.

Hydration matters too. Pair your post-workout meal with an electrolyte drink or plenty of water. Dehydration can also impact your recovery and performance, so be sure to rehydrate.

Need a snack on the go? If a full meal isn’t possible right away, try a quick snack like a handful of trail mix with dried fruit, a protein bar, or a peanut butter sandwich. The key is to get those carbs in ASAP.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞—𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦.

🚀 Don’t let tomorrow’s workout suffer—fuel up now!

06/10/2024

I used to believe a lot of things about exercise. Some of those have turned out to be wrong.

For a long time, I believed that to get the benefits of exercise, one needs to complete it in bouts of 30–60 minutes or more. Don’t waste your time with a 10 to 15-minute workout.

It’s now abundantly clear to me that you can accumulate physical activity in short bouts of 1–2 minutes throughout the day and achieve a massive health benefit for your brain and body. At least that’s what the literature on exercise snacks and vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity (VILPA) tells us.

People who perform 2 to 5 exercise snacks throughout the day have lower risks of death and disease compared to people who don’t. You can also enhance your metabolic health and increase your aerobic fitness through unstructured exercise snacks. All it takes is a few distinct moments of high-intensity physical activity per day to improve our health. However, meeting the minimum weekly recommendation of 150–300 minutes of activity also appears to be important.

Is this optimal? Certainly not. Exercising 3 to 5 times per week and setting aside dedicated time to exercise (ideally 45 to 60 minutes) is probably the best way to improve your health and fitness. But if you simply do not have the time, then “snacking” on exercise is a good alternative.

The second thing that I was wrong about is related to the first. That is, if you want to receive the health benefits of exercise, you should probably exercise at least three days per week or more. Frequency is an important determinant of the adaptations we receive from exercise. To get stronger or improve the function of your heart, you need to stimulate your muscles and heart as often as possible. It’s just like studying.

But here is where I’m wrong about the second point. The pattern of physical activity does not appear to discriminate when it comes to exercise’s benefits—at least that’s what accumulating evidence indicates.

Working (out) for the weekend

Traditionally, a “weekend warrior” refers to someone who doesn’t train much during the week and then hops off of their couch on Saturday morning and runs a local 5k. Maybe they go to a group run or a Sunday jog with friends and have a few beers after. People with busy schedules or who work the night shift during the week may find this activity pattern optimal. If you want to exercise for 3 to 5 hours per week but don’t have the time to set aside an hour on a few weekdays, doing a couple of ultra-long exercise sessions on the weekend might be your only option.
If you’re reading this and you consider yourself a weekend warrior, embrace findings of several new studies on this matter . After all, I think there is a misconception out there among exercise enthusiasts that unless you’re working out almost every day, you’re somehow missing out on the benefits of regular exercise. This study would not support that notion—weekend warriors and regular exercisers have the same (lower) risk for disease compared to less active people.

Weekly exercise volume appears to be the most important variable for determining the disease-reducing effects of physical activity.

The main thing that we can learn from the weekend warrior studies is that we need to think about our exercise not as a day-by-day process, but perhaps in weekly or even monthly buckets. Set a weekly exercise goal for yourself rather than think you need to accumulate 45–60 minutes of exercise each day.

Using this approach, a single suboptimal day (or a really good day) means less in the grand scheme of the week or month of training. Health is not improved or deteriorated over a single day!

Courtesy : Brady Holmer