Pilates: Functional Fitness for the Over 40's

DETERMINING THE DURATION OF YOUR TRAINING: THE FACTORS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT

It is difficult to determine the optimal duration of a fitness session because this notion is specific to each one and will be determined by the following 5 factors:

- Your sporting objective

- Your level of practice

- Your availability (time)

- The number of sets made

- the rest time between each series

the effectiveness of your fitness session is independent of the time you'll spend there, but rather the regularity of technique and motivationthat you put into your workout. You just have to take the time you need and stay tuned to your body. Keep in mind that the length of your session should not become an obstacle to your progress.

BEFORE WORKOUT: WARM-UP

Whatever fitness exercise program you choose , you should always start with a warm-up time. Allow 5-10 minutes. Do some cardio-type exercises and functional movements. The goal is to gradually increase your heart rate, warm up your muscles one by one and activate your joints .

In the case of a weight training session, you can do a few repetitions with weights to get used to the load.

The watchword is to go gradually without rushing your body. A good warm-up will protect you from any risk of injury.

HOW LONG FOR A CARDIO TRAINING SESSION:

A cardio-training session allows you to let off steam while building your cardiovascular endurance and improving your breath. Find out here how long your cardio training should last depending on the goal you want to achieve:

Objective 1: Return to sport or rehabilitation . The goal of this workout is to maintain your physical shape and limit fat storage.

- Activity: walking, slow cycling, seated bike

- Intensity: low

- Duration: start with a session of 30 minutes per day, then increase to 45 minutes (at least 3 times a week to get results).

Goal 2: Weight loss . The goal of this workout is to burn calories.

- Activity: running, exercise bike, elliptical

trainer - Intensity: medium

- Duration: perform a 40-minute session that you will repeat 2 to 3 times a week, then increase the duration and frequency of your training according to your your progress.

Objective 3: Increase in performance, cardiovascular and pulmonary capacities .

- Activity: sprint, interval training, cycling

- Intensity: high

- Duration: 20 to 30 minutes session to be repeated 2 to 3 times a week with a recovery time between each session of 48 hours.

Note: as you become more efficient, your body needs more energy to nourish your muscles. These will therefore burn more calories and continuously, you increase your metabolism.

HOW LONG FOR A WORKOUT:

Unlike cardio-training exercises punctuated by time, a weight training session is paced by the number of sets and repetitions of the same movement. You must adapt this number to your goal and your level of practice, go gradually! Remember to repeat the work on the left and right sides.

Objective 1: muscle building and muscular endurance

- Duration: 6 to 10 sets of 12 to 20 repetitions of the movement

- Load: minimal

- Rest time between each set: 30 seconds

Objective 2: mass gain (aesthetic volume gain)

- Duration : 6 to 10 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions of the movement

- Load: medium

- Rest time between each series: 1.30 minutes. You must allow 48 hours of recovery to work the same muscle group again.

Objective 3: muscular strength

- Duration: 6 to 10 sets of 3 to 6 repetitions of the movement

- Load: heavy

- Rest time between each set: 2 to 3 minutes. You must allow 48 hours of recovery to work the same muscle group again.

AFTER TRAINING: CALM AND RECOVERY

For a complete and effective workout, consider giving yourself a few minutes to cool down to gradually bring your heart rate down . Take the opportunity to stretch your muscles with a few stretching movements . This will prevent the appearance of stiffness.

Recovery is also essential! Your muscles need time to rebuild between workouts. You must adapt your recovery time to the intensity of the effort you put in during your session.

Finally, to get the most benefit from your efforts, avoid working the same part of the body or the same muscle for two days in a row.

As you will have understood, it is difficult to determine a particular duration for an effective fitness session. It all depends on your goal and your level of practice. Stay tuned to your body and maintain consistency in your training program. It's your turn !