Good morning everyone! Shane here -

How often should you exercise for good health?

At Strength School new clients and potential clients often ask us how often they should exercise. This week I want to give you a few things to consider when thinking about that question.

First, let's assume that we are talking about the average person, who wants to be healthier, lose some weight, and have more energy - we are not talking about professional athletes, Olympians, or any other type of competitive athlete. We are talking about regular Joes and Jills like you and me.

Now, if I told new people at the gyms that they need to work out six days a week to achieve their goals, how many would actually do that? What if I guaranteed their success? Even then, I doubt that many people could stick to six days a week in the gym.

What about five workouts a week? Or four?

Let's look at some facts.

Big Idea #1: the average American exercises zero times a week. Nada. Nilch. Nothing. That's not surprising though, right? Just look around the next time you are at the mall or supermarket. 40% of adults are obese.

Big Idea #2: the average Strength School client exercises with us 2-2.5 times a week. I have five years of data, with two gyms, and hundreds of clients. Month after month, our average attendance is 2.0-2.5 workouts a week. We set up our schedule so that everyone has access to three sessions a week, which is what we recommend for most clients. But life often gets in the way - vacations, sickness, activities for the kids or grandkids, etc.

This is what I have seen at Strength School:

Clients who get the best results stick around 2.5 workouts a week, 10 or more each month
Clients who average 2 a week, 8 a month, can get great results only if they have a very good diet and work/life balance - good sleep and stress management
Clients who attend less than 8 workouts a month don't see much progress
Clients who attend less than 8 workouts a month, for two consecutive months or more, are 3x more likely to quit exercising altogether

So, how often should you exercise for good health? My data says at least ten times a month for the average person. And you are average, we all are.

If you have been getting 10+ workouts a month, I applaud you and encourage you to keep it up. But if you have been slacking lately, now is the time to turn things around.

-Shane

How Often Should You Exercise for Good Health?