The bare minimum amount of exercise you can get away with and still lose weight (2024)

THOUGH we know that exercising regularly is one of the cornerstones of good health, sometimes it can seem like a chore to drag ourselves to the gym or go on that run we've been putting off the whole day.

On top of this, our lives have certainly become more sedentary.

Many of us spend our days sitting in an office chair, only to slump onto our sofa exhausted at the end of the day.

US researchers last year warned that sitting for 10 hours each day “rapidly” increases your risk ofdementia.

And scientists in Taiwan said being slouched at a desk all day increased your chances of an early death from any cause by 16 per cent.

But don't panic. Another recent study found that exercising just twice a week is enough to slash your risk of suffering a deadly heart attack, with "weekend warriors'" deemed just as healthy as those working out daily.

This may well have got you thinking; What's the bare minimum amount of exercise you can get away with weekly, while still seeing results like gaining muscle or losing weight?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), any amount of physical activity is better than none.

And anything counts, the health watchdog maintains, whether it's done as part of work, household tasks or commuting on a bike.

It says the minimum amount of exercise we should aim to achieve each week is:

• 150 minutes of moderate exercise – where you can maintain a conversation, but you’re slightly out of breath
• OR... 75 minutes of vigorous exercise – that causes rapid breathing and a significant increase in heart rate

Dean Zweck, product development manager at Total Fitness, said we should also aim to do at least two strength sessions per week on top of this.

These can either use machines or free weights, such as dumbbells and kettlebells, and you should strive to complete about 10 sets engaging each muscle group.

"This may sound like a lot to achieve," he said.

But he told Sun Health: "The best way to do this would be to split your workouts over the week."

You could aim for either:

• Five 30-minute sessions of moderate exercise (this could be a fast-paced walk, cycle, swim or light jog)
• OR three 25-minute sessions of vigorous exercise (HIIT, spin, boxing, running)
• Or a mixture of both
• Two strength sessions (upper body one day, lower body another). These could be done on the same day as the above

If you're more of a weekend warrior and you can only do your workout sessions at the end of the week, due to work, family or social commitments, Dean said you can do all the exercise you need to do in just two sessions.

He shared some helpful tips for weekend warriors who want to keep things concise.

1. Go for longer sessions

Saving your exercise sessions might have some additional benefits, according to Dean.

"People who exercise at the weekend tend to have more time to workout," he told Sun Health.

"If you can spare 75 to 90 minutes throughout your day, you’ll be able to achieve the recommended amount of exercise."

2. Find what keeps you motivated

Chances are, you won't want to dedicate precious weekend time to an activity you don't enjoy.

So Dean advised you "find what will keep you motivated and get you moving at the weekend".

Try out a few different forms of exercise to see what you actually might enjoy doing.

"Moderate and vigorous intensities and strength training can be achieved through a range of activities, such as swimming, gym sessions, group exercise classes, personal training sessions and outdoor activities," Dean said.

You can even do some football or go on a park run, he went on.

3. Do multiple sessions in one day

Cramming a couple sessions into the same day is another way to ensure you're meeting your weekly exercise quota.

That doesn't mean you need to drag yourself from one intense gym class to another.

Dean explained: "You might go to the gym and do a weight session or a group exercise class such as HIIT or spin in the morning, but then boost the number of minutes you do throughout the day with other activities."

For example, one way to incorporate some extra cardio is to walk or jog to your gym if it isn't too far.

4. Get more bang for your buck

To get more bang for your buck each time you exercise, Dean said you should "focus on compound exercises that train multiple muscle groups at once.

"This way, you can achieve the minimum number of sets in fewer exercises," he added.

5. Give your body time to recover

It's also important to give your body time to recover if you're doing strength training or other strenuous forms of exercise.

"Try to do different strength exercises each day," Dean suggested.

"Your muscles need time to recover and working the same muscles over consecutive days increases the chance of injury."

6. Don't do more than one HIIT workout a week

According to Dean, you shouldn't be doing more than one HIIT workout each week.

"High-intensity training is particularly strenuous on the body, both on the muscles and the nervous system," he said.

"If you want to incorporate vigorous exercises, do this on one day and then moderate on the other.

"This mixing up of exercises should keep you more engaged in your sessions too."

7. Don't forget to stretch

You should always ease your body in and out of exercise to avoid injuring yourself, Dean said.

"Warm-up and cool down properly during each session," he added.

"This will help reduce injury and allow you to benefit from your weekend workouts."

GIVE THIS TWO-DAY WORKOUT PLAN A GO

Dean put together an example plan for a two-day workout focusing on gym exercises.

Day 1

Warm up

Do 10 minutes of dynamic stretches and low-intensity cardio to warm up.

Cardio

Next comes the cardio component. Do:

• 20 minutes of cycling at a steady pace
• 25 minutes of cross training at a steady pace

Resistance

For the resistance part of your workout, aim for eight to 12 reps per set:

• Four sets of squats to shoulder presses
• Four sets of reverse lunges and bicep curls
• Three leg press sets
• Three lat pulldown sets
• Three chest press sets

Cool down

Stretch out for five minutes.

Day 2

Warm up

Do 10 minutes of dynamic stretches and low intensity cardio.

Cardio

For the cardio section do:

• 20 minutes on the stair climber
• 25 minutes of interval running - this means running for five minutes at a steady pace, followed by eight sets of 30-second sprints and 90 second jogging or walking for recovery, then run for another four minutes at a steady pace

Resistance

Again, aim for eight to 12 reps for each set:

• Four sets of barbell deadlifts
• Four sets of dumbbell chest presses
• Four sets of glute hip extensions
• Four sets of side lunges and dumbbell rows - this means two sets per side
• Three sets of leg curls followed by leg extensions - do one exercise followed by the other with no rest

Cool down

Cool down with a five minute stretch.