I like to alternate yoga and traditional gym days. The yoga is still hard work but has more restorative qualities, and often complements my gym work rather well. That said, I still take one or two rest days a week. Being in your thirties comes with some physical boundaries you'd do well to respect.

I personally go 3x for gym classes like "healthy spine", "mobility", "core" etc. and then 2-3x hard training. But I would say I am very active recently.

Do I feel better? Yes. Was it hard first 2 weeks? Yes, I had even to resort to painkillers.

I think the best for people who sit a lot are core, mobility and back exercises. Huge motivation for me when I finally started prioritizing back on machines and progressed on all other things and finally look like I go to gym :)

that's strength training. you have cardio, mobility, skill and so on available.

Martial arts usually have physical and technique days alternated, same goes for bouldering, and I imagine many other forms of exercise.

Splits and light days. Parent wasn't suggesting every day be full body max.

Going to a gym doesn't mean doing only one type of exercise, you can do yoga or cardio in the gym as a form of recovery if you mainly train for resistance for example

I used to ride a bike for 40 minutes twice a day 5 days a week on the commute, and then ride longer most Saturdays and Sundays

A daily 40 minutes on an exercise bike, rowing machine, or treadmill doesn't seem excessive.

I was wondering the same thing. It already takes a very high level of motivation and self discipline to go 3 times a week, going every day requires superhuman levels to so consistently.

This doesn't take into account that your body requires rest, and I don't know how op thinks you can combine this with an active sport like skiing, or something creative like music. You will be drained already from the gym.

It's not just about motivation and self discipline, but your body needs recovery days.

>high level of motivation and self discipline to go 3 times a week.

I don't really have the time for gym but going feels so good so I can see why someone who does have the time might go 7 days a week.

People really differ, don't we?

I can only imagine what it would feel like to enjoy working out!

During my the year before my BA started and in the first year of it, I went 4 - 5 days a week, including Sauna afterwards.

Thats easy if you have no responsibility

Agreed, I like to repeat beneficial things as much as possible but one day your body will send you the bill. There will be some exceptional people that can do that after their 30s but giving you 2 or 3 days of rest is probably the right amount

My retro fitness is always crowded. I go 7 days a week. 40 minute jog. No lifting. It's nice seeing and saying hi to the same people their everyday.

> Don't take advice from internet strangers

Incredible irony here and exactly what I was thinking as I read your comment. Get them internet points, kid!

On your off days just go and walk on a treadmill for 30-60 minutes. Or 15 minutes. Anything to entrench the habit until it feels wrong to not go.

You can do splits or cardio.

I go everyday but started just using Sundays for walks outside.

30min resistance and 30min "Jeffing" (called the run-walk method, run-walk-run).

Saturdays since I have more time 1:30hr resistance, 1hr-2hr cycling outside.

Eating healthy is also important, cook for yourself always. Meal prepping saves so much money.

I think time is also against me and life is moving quickly that if I don't spend everyday on body and mind its a wasted day.

Yeah especially 38 approaches the barrier (or crossed, depends on genes and previous lifestyle) when body changes for the worse. Weaker, builds strength slower, regeneration takes longer, injuries come easier. Very bad and outright dangerous advice that scare away more people than actually help.

I'd say start with 2x a week, and 2 very important points - start gently since by description body isn't used to working out so it may take many weeks for it to grow connective tissue to handle new load; and start with a coach who will not push you like many love to do, but give you a gradual introduction and help avoid beginner's mistakes and injuries.

The main point is to not make every workout a hated chore that must be done, since such motivation won't last very long and subconsciousness will easily find ways to start avoiding that. Everybody I knew that subscribed to such regime from 0 and wanted to be pushed hard gave up in few months. Such a mindset is reserved further down the line, for specific types of personalities and not an universally good approach.

Once some form of affinity if not outright love for workouts and feeling/effects after forms, and routine sets in, find other sports. Don't just do gym mindlessly every day unless that's the only choice of activity... its rather sad use of all that gained potential when there are so many better, more fun & rewarding activities. Do group sports if you like them (I personally don't), and/or join groups of people doing such activities (ie hiking club must be almost everywhere, its such a basic and great thing).

Some 15 years ago I started ie organizing climbing sessions out of loneliness in similar situation as yours and amount of friends and women that entered my life in short period was non-trivial. Thats further down the line, but just a group similarly-minded people are already a massive boost. Be yourself, find your new hobbies or better passions, and this hard period will be over.

Do NOT spend most of your free time in front of screen, playing games or other rather toxic activities. They will make all negative things worse since its a very lonely hobby despite being in contact with many folks (multiplayer, singleplayer is even worse).

gym every day is fine with good load management. You should not be thrashing yourself to the max on a daily routine.

yes, strong agree.

I'm personally happiest on two heavy lifting days with snatch, cleans and front squats, and then just lots of walking, handstands and some empty barbell work at home on other days.

I've tried to go harder, but doing heavy snatches 4x/week just exhausts me without increasing strength.

One could easily take yoga or Zumba 2-3 times a week. Lift some weights 1 day a week and use the treadmill any day you aren't out walking around. No injuries on that schedule.

Every gym I see in socal is always busy. Bonus, you start to see "regulars" and have someone to say hello to.

I actually like doing overtraining in bursts. Hit gym 1-2x per day for a few weeks, supersets and drop sets. I get gigantic.

But then I do a cut, and maintain, its only like 20 minutes lifting per week.

Anyway, you are basically repeating broscience. Or maybe after lifting for 14 years, I can handle it.

But also, you can do cardio everyday, that said, I only do 1 hard cardio day per week.

Do YOU go to the gym at all?

I lift four times a week. Two days a week I do intense cardio. One day a week I do something low impact like yoga or a treadmill incline walk. "Active recovery" is not a new concept.

They said go every day, not do intense workouts every day. Plenty of things you can do at a gym that don't require recovery days. Being there so much should confer some social benefits too.

Going to the gym every day doesn't mean lifting weights every day , at least not at first. Once you have advanced enough you can certainly lift everyday, focusing on different muscle groups.

The principle is to be active - treadmill, rowing machine, elliptical, etc on days you're not lifting weights are perfectly reasonable expectation after a few months of adaptation period. You don't have to go to the gym of course, you can do all those activities at home with some very cheap and easy to obtain equipment like rubber bands and/or TRX, but the point I think OP was trying to make is to create opportunities for social interactions.

On days I miss workouts I feel much more groggy and tired, so working out over the years became a necessity which I don't really need to find motivation to do. If you feel bored and tired, try to couple workouts with audiobooks or podcasts, that helps to make the experience more enjoyable and even productive at times.

(I'm nearing 42, working out most of my life 5 days a week at least)

Working out isn't that difficult i have been doing it for 11 years, You'll learn only if you get regular. It's a skill like any another. At start go gradual and do less and with time you can workout every single day without over training. Key is that you learn to listen to your body and train accordingly.