You need to exercise this much

How often should I exercise? A fair question. And depending on your goals, I could give hundreds of different answers. If we’re talking general health for the average person? NHS guidelines are at least 150mins of moderate activity or 75mins of vigorous activity per week. But honestly, the target should be… ‘A little bit more than I’m doing now.’ To look at 150mins moderate / 75mins vigorous activity, you’ll have 1 of 3 reactions. 1 – That seems quite low, I do a lot more than that. 2 – That sounds about right for me. 3 – What the fuck? How am I supposed to fit that much in? If you’re a 1? Well done. Keep it up. If you’re a 2? A good start. But bear in mind, those are the minimums. Progression is key to any health and fitness programme. Move the goalposts and add extra activity where you can. If you’re a 3? It’s fine if you’re starting from scratch. That’s where we all began. Do me a favour though, remember that everything is on a sliding scale. It’s not a case of: ‘Do 150 minutes a week or fuck off.’ No, it’s a number to strive towards and eventually surpass. 10mins a week is better than 0mins. 20mins a week is better than 10mins. 30mins a week is better than 20mins. Can you see where I’m going with this? I’ve talked before about the ‘All or nothing’ approach and how it’s always doomed to failure. Because at some point, you won’t be able to go ‘All in’… automatically putting you in the ‘nothing’ category. Something is better than nothing. A good target to eventually aim for?

• 2x whole body resistance training sessions per week.

• 150mins of moderate cardio spread throughout the week.

If you can get to this level you'll be feeling some pretty hefty benefits. Like the offspring from a Mr Strong / Little Miss Sexy / Mr Happy love triangle. Rather than...

Weirdly, everybody assumes cardio means running. Not quite true, although running can be a good choice. (The NHS Couch to 5k programme is effective - https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/ ) In reality, cardio includes anything that gets your heartrate up. - Walking. - Running. - Cycling. - Swimming. - Dancing. - Gardening. - Hoovering. - Skateboarding. - Hula-hooping. - Twerking. - Shoplifting. - Boffing the neighbour. - Fighting big lads. Get active. It all counts. Without getting on my soapbox, remember that exercise is a privilege. We’re incredibly lucky to be able to do it. Don’t take it for granted. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Get out there and enjoy the bastard.