How many days a week should I exercise?

How many days a week should I exercise?

John Spencer Ellis (Author, TV Show Host, Trainer and CEO, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association) gives expert video advice on: What questions should I ask my doctor before starting an exercise program?; How do I know if I'm out of shape?; How do I know if I'm obese? and more...

People are always wondering how many days a week they should exercise. The answer is not clear cut, because everyone is different. In very, very, general terms, if someone has an established base of fitness and they are not under any specific limitations by their physician, exercising 3 days a week to begin is fantastic. Even 2 days; just get moving! I think, with very, very few exceptions, the most someone should do is 6 days. Lance Armstrong is the only person I know who exercised 7 days of the week, but he's something of an anomaly, and he's also under constant care to make sure his body recovers well enough. If you don't recover, you'll get nowhere; your body does not grow, it doesn't improve while you're doing the physical activity. It only does when you rest.