Here’s the question: Does exercising just once a week help? If the answer is yes, why?
Most people, including you, probably agree on two things: First, fitness is good for your body. Second, fitness takes time and is difficult to stick to. If you are new to fitness, or are going through a major life change, such as changing jobs or becoming a parent, you must be aware of this.
Not only do you have to invest a lot of time in exercise or fitness, but you also have to consider the related preparations (changing into sportswear, commuting to the gym or work), and the post-exercise relaxation period (going home, taking a shower), these all need to be taken into account. There’s also the mental drain – you need to invest a lot of cognitive energy to do all of this: If you’re a parent, you have to arrange for childcare; plan your route to the gym to make sure you get off work on time. These tedious schedules can be even more burdensome than the time you actually spend working out.
If you don’t commit to hitting the gym at least three times a week or working out at home for 150 minutes, as experts recommend. So, does it really make sense to practice once a week (or even less)? Of course, your body will feel sore when you exercise, but if you don’t exercise consistently, aren’t all your efforts in vain? Let’s explore the answers together below.
Are you facing this problem? Actually you are not alone!
It’s easy for anyone to fall into a spiral of disappointment and self-loathing when the fitness goals they set aren’t met. You may be thinking, everyone else can do it, why can’t I? ! If you think so, you’re not alone: Tyler McDonald, a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) certified personal trainer, tennis coach, and senior brand marketing manager, says this happens to his clients all the time. And, many people mentioned the same situation: time constraints are the biggest obstacle to achieving their goals.
“That’s really one of the biggest hurdles for coaches,” McDonald said. People always come to him with this mentality: “I don’t have enough time, I can only spare one hour a week, otherwise…I just won’t practice.” This will become an expected psychological trap, and it is also the reason why many people stay sedentary for a long time.
Are there any benefits to working out once a week?
If you only have enough time and energy to work out once a week, it’s easy to wonder if you should stick with it? But experts say the answer is clear: It’s absolutely worth it. “We humans are wired to exercise, and any amount of exercise is helpful,” says Dr. Katie Rose Hejtmanek, a professor of anthropology at Brooklyn College, an expert on community fitness, and a weightlifting champion. McDonald agrees that while exercising at least two to three times a week is ideal, even exercising just once a week can bring significant health benefits.
1 Good for mental health
“The most immediate benefit is in mental health,” says McDonald. Just one bout of exercise can create a “potent positive neurochemical response” by releasing endorphins and other chemicals in the brain that help improve mood, reduce stress and combat anxiety. (As Elle Woods says, endorphins make you happy!) That’s why, he adds, a single workout provides “the most effective mental conditioning of the week, so that’s important.”
2 Strengthen physical fitness
Secondly, there is a more practical aspect, which is about the body. “Exercising once a week won’t give you a six-pack, but it’s definitely worth it,” says McDonald. “Just one exercise can teach your body how to communicate more efficiently between the brain and muscles, thereby promoting blood circulation, strengthening muscles, and overall strengthening the bones and cardiovascular system.” Dr. Hejtmanek added.
3 Increase the chance of exercising more often
Finally, McDonald says that even exercising just once a week can lead to positive behavioral changes by changing your habits and expectations. “It’s much easier to go from exercising once a week to twice a week than from zero to once.” So, even though you may only be able to exercise once a week now, your chances of moving up to two or three times a week are much greater.
Adhering to training once a week can not only gradually develop exercise habits, but also help you establish a psychological identity as an athlete and bring about a psychological change in your self-perception, which is the key to the success of long-term continuous training in the future. With this as a foundation, you’ll be able to more smoothly build on your existing training plan.
Keep in mind that a weekly exercise program does have some special considerations. McDonald points out that since exercise is so short, for best results you need to do a full-body workout because you won’t have time to focus on one specific body part or muscle group. He recommends prioritizing “those really basic compound movements, like push-ups, rows, or lunges. These moves will “help you work every muscle,” thereby improving your overall fitness.
Advice for those of you who are too busy to exercise
Now that we’ve established that even exercising once a week is definitely worth it, here are some tips for reducing stress and staying active. While you may initially feel like your workouts have to be done in a specific way, at a specific time or place to be “effective,” finding the gray area between black and white will be more beneficial to you in the long run. You should adjust your exercise program to fit your schedule, not the other way around. Remember, “there is no hard and fast pattern (rolling adjustments work),” says McDonald.
Tip 1 Incorporate exercise into your daily life
You may have heard of the concept of Habit-Stacking, a concept coined by author James Clear. ) “Coffee is a must? Take a quick 10-minute walk while you’re drinking coffee. Got to take the kids to school in the morning? Put on a song and dance while you sing,” says Dr. Hejtmanek. Housework with a physical component (like watering the plants or walking the dog) counts, too!
Tip 2: Invite others to exercise together
Exercising with another person (or even multiple people) helps maintain self-discipline because it creates a sense of responsibility. Dr. Hejtmanek recommends playing with your kids, going for a walk with your grandparents, or meeting a friend for a coffee walk to increase your physical activity. “Walking and talking is one of my favorite ways to get your circulation going,” she says.
Tip 3 Remember, persistence is better than perfection
“As coaches, our first priority is not to design the perfect training program, but to break the either-or mentality that many people have,” McDonald said. There’s no such thing as a perfect workout schedule. “Even if you’re disappointed with your performance that week, or you only have ten minutes to do some stretching, showing up to the gym regularly means more than you think. After all, the rewards of taking action are far greater than doing nothing.”
Tip 4 Find a sport you love
“You won’t get extra points for doing things that make you miserable, so do exercises that you enjoy and feel good about,” says Dr. Hejtmanek. McDonald also tells us that while the exercise itself may not be all that fun (and sometimes even boring), you can still find a way to “keep yourself going,” whether it’s jogging, yoga, Pilates, or riding a flywheel. For his students, finding a sport they love “gives them the confidence that they want to stick with it. It helps them become committed and feel engaged.”
Tip 5 Start with exercise “snacks”
Dr. Hejtmanek said that these “snacks” are not edible foods in the traditional sense, but ultra-short workouts that don’t take up any of your time and can “help people who don’t exercise or don’t want to exercise get some activity.” For example: go for a ten-minute walk before and after work, do a few minutes of squats between meetings, quickly go up and down the stairs a few times after lunch, and so on.
Tip 6 Don’t feel like you need a gym membership or a bunch of expensive equipment
“There are a lot of exercises you can do at home, around the house and outdoors that are great for building your fundamentals,” says McDonald, from push-ups and sit-ups to lunges to weight-bearing exercises using simple household items. “These are very effective ways to exercise and will be of great benefit to your future development.”
Tip 7 Don’t be too hard on yourself
“There is no magic remedy that can change the outcome of your life, except start taking action (exercise or fitness) and if something interferes and you stop, start again,” says Dr. Hejtmanek. “We were born to move. As long as you are willing to take a small step, you will find that it feels really good.”