How Hard Do You Really Need to Exercise?

It’s an interesting question really. “How Hard Do You Really Need to Exercise?” It’s actually fairly ambiguous, but I’m going to give you a clear answer anyway. While it has everything do to with your goals, the principles of what makes a exercise “work” are the same.

What makes exercise hard?

Simple. It’s about effort, which is specifically related to your heart rate. The harder you work, the more oxygen your muscles need, which means your heart has to pump blood faster to meet the needs. So your heart rate goes up, to about 70-100% of it’s max. It’s uncomfortable, hard to talk and difficult to maintain for long periods of time.

And while it’s hard and uncomfortable, here is where change comes. Your heart is a muscle and your body is a machine. A smart one. And when you make it uncomfortable by pushing its limits, it responds by getting stronger. Your muscles grow and your circulatory system will expand. You will literally grow more capillaries to get oxygen to muscles more efficiently. It’s a marvel really.

Hard workouts in this range are what I like to call Performance Workouts. Because you will literally see improved performance output. The amount of work you’re able to achieve is based on your current level of fitness, but the point is, they are always hard AF. And overtime, you’re able to achieve more work with the same level of hard effort.

Performance workouts are ALWAYS hard. But also worth it. Nothing beats the feeling of getting faster, lifting more weight, being leaner and getting to the top of the mountain in less time. It’s exhilarating and directly linked to your self-esteem, confidence and can positively impact all ares of your life.

Types of Performance Workouts: Sprints, HIIT, Hill Repeats, Tabata, heavy weight lifting. Essentially any interval training where you’re really pushing your heart or your muscles so that they respond/adapt by getting stronger.

Good News: Not all exercise has to be hard.

In fact, it can’t be. If you did too many Performance workouts, without and recovery, you’d just break. Your body is a regenerative machine and that regeneration takes time. You gotta give it some love, and those muscle fibers some time to rebuild. Working out hard on top of hard is not only miserable, it can be a waste of time and dangerous.

Enter: Maintenance Workouts. Ahh these are the best! Here’s where your still exercising, but at a lighter level, maybe 55-70% your max effort and you can do it for longer periods of time. You can talk, tell stories, breath easier, clear your mind. You’re still moving and working, but it feels more comfortable and enjoyable.

I call them Maintenance workouts because they will help you do just that. They will help prevent weight gain, you’ll stay fit, strong and healthy. This helps you manage stress better, can be a great way to be social and will also keep your bones strong and your body running well.

Types of Maintenance Workouts: Walking, jogging, easy cycling, moderate hiking, any steady state cardio where you’re working your heart, but at a moderate level. I also include most types of yoga in here. Although a tough yoga class can definitely be a Performance workout!

Balancing Performance and Maintenance Workouts

This is where your goals come in. If you’re not trying to set any records, lose weight, change the shape or composition of your body, then you’ll do more Maintenance workouts. If you’re trying to PR in a race, climb a bigger mountain, or just get stronger, then you’ll do more Performance workouts.

Because Performance workouts require recovery, you really can’t do more than three per week. Even back in my Boston Marathon training days, I really only did two (one speed work and one hill or tempo run).

And while the number of Performance workouts are based on your goals and limited by recovery, Maintenance workouts are not. And they are also 100% an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. You should strive for at least three, 30+ min sessions per week and there is not really an upper limit.

Your Heart Rate Zones

If you want to know your target heart rate zones for Performance vs Maintenance workouts, here is a quick calculator. But it’s a really general estimate and can vary quite a bit.

For example: While I consider myself a fairly fit person, I did a study in college and discovered I happen to have a tiny heart. Like physically small. So it has to pump more to meet my muscles’ needs. So my target max heart rate is like 176 per this calculator. But I ran at 192 today. So…it’s always best to talk with your doctor or personal trainer for a custom evaluation. And on that note….

Disclaimer: My GAWD before you engage in Performance workouts (or really any new exercise routine) please talk your doctor first! Explain your goals and get a check to make sure your health is in good standing and your heart can take on the challenge.

In Summary

No matter what your relationship with fitness is right now, remember that exercise is really a gift for your body and most definitely a part of self care. Both Performance and Maintenance workouts. Having the time and freedom to move and push your body is a privilege that not everybody has. So enjoy it. Listen to your body, give it what it needs, challenge it when you can and enjoy alllllll the benefits that come with it!