It can be difficult to read through the conflicting headlines and stats about how much exercise is really required to hit your health goals. FitClub put together a cheat sheet to make it easier to find your fitness formula.

• Get specific about your goals. Are you trying to lose weight, improve your
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  cardiovascular health, quit smoking, or eliminate stress? Believe it or not, the guidelines for how much exercise you need vary depending on what your goal might be. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, short walks can start to reduce the fat and triglycerides that damage heart health. If you’re trying to quit smoking, the Journal of Psychopharmacology finds that short bursts of intense exercise are best for eliminating a craving, while longer, sustained movement is necessary for weight loss.


• Meet at least the minimum. If you’re trying to build a consistent fitness routine but are short on time, make a goal of achieving at least the minimum exercise required to improve your health. The public health guidelines estimate that adults need a minimum of 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise each week, which breaks down to approximately twenty minutes each day. Don’t expect to see huge weight loss progress with the bare minimum, though. Use the twenty minute rule as a starting point expand on that base as often as possible.


• Strive for balance all day. The time you spend exercising is only one part of the right fitness formula. Incorporating a healthy diet, plenty of water, and at least eight hours of sleep ensures that you’re getting the most out of the time you spend exercising.


• Make it a habit. Striving for the daily minimum of exercise every day not only jumpstarts your fitness, but it also starts building a habit. Getting started may be difficult, but after a few weeks of committing to at least twenty minutes of exercise each day, it will become a habit just like eating breakfast or taking a shower. The more consistent you are, the easier it will be to find that time in your day.


• Seek support. Once you narrow down your goals and start hitting a minimum baseline each day, ask an expert to help you adjust your fitness formula for even more success. Work with a personal trainer at FitClub to meet your specific goals and push yourself to exceed your own expectations. If your goals are health related, work with your medical professionals to determine the amount and type of exercise needed for improving your health stats.


• Listen to your body. The amount of information available can be overwhelming. Once you get started with a comfortable fitness routine of your own, your body will tell you when it is capable of more or when it’s had too much. Be aware of the physical sensations that develop from exercise. Do you feel energized or fatigued? Sore or well rested? Your body is probably already telling you what it wants and needs to get and stay healthy. Take advantage of your intuition.

How do you make sure you’re getting the exercise your body needs for health and fitness?