The quest to lose weight and be more fit is never ending. We try just about anything to get to our “finish line” faster. Eating well, getting more sleep, and exercising. Making commitments to ourselves, finding workout partners, as I mentioned it can be never ending. How about the notion of doing two a day workouts? I’ve heard people on both side of the fence. Besides the obvious good things we get from exercise, endorphins, better mood, sleeping better, are two a days better for us?
To stay healthy, experts recommend about 30 minutes per day of moderately intense exercise five days a week. If you’re trying to lose weight, 50 to 60 minutes a day, five to six times a week is the goal, and we’re talking three days of heart-pumping, calorie-burning cardio, two days of moderate exercise, and one light day.
With that said, it’s not always possible to fit in an hour-long workout just about every day of the week, so doubling up in one day is a great way to balance a tight schedule. When doing two daily workouts, make sure they’re different from one another so you can include a balance of cardio, strength training, and stretching over the course of a day. Go for a run in the morning and take an evening yoga class, or hit up that lunchtime indoor cycling class and do some strength training before dinner. Be conscious of which muscles you’re targeting each time you exercise, because solely working your legs twice in one day could not only cause a muscular imbalance that leads to pain or injury, but you’ll also get bored. And don’t skip those rest days! It’s important to allow your muscles a chance to heal and strengthen.
Also keep in mind that exercising twice in one day will cause you to burn more calories, so make sure you’re nourishing yourself with enough protein and healthy carbs. And as long as getting in your two workouts doesn’t have a negative effect on your life or prevent you from getting enough sleep, then there’s nothing wrong with sweating it out twice!
