How much is too much? (and Bonus 10k Training plan)

I get this question ALL the time from my mom clients as well as my "regular people"...

How often should / can I be working out each week? 

This is a tricky one, because honestly it's going to vary from person to person. 

Generally speaking, how often you workout will depend on your availability and fitness goals. If you're just getting back into working out, 2-3 workouts will be enough to get some results and get the momentum going. You can also do something every day, or 2-a-days for that matter. 

The key here is to mix it up. 

If you're training for a 10k, don't run every day. 
If you're looking to build muscle, don't do the same workouts 2x a week. 

We need to change it up and challenge our muscle groups differently to achieve optimal results. 

You will also still need rest days. 

For example, if my goal is to crush my next 1ok, my calendar could look like this: 

Monday- sprint workout on the treadmill and 15-20 minutes of corework
Tuesday- 30 minute strength workout with heavy weights
Wednesday - swim or yoga
Thursday- longer endurance run with 10 minutes of stretching 
Friday- 45 minute total body bootcamp
Saturday - rest day
Sunday - hill workout

Or this: 

Monday- rest day
Tuesday - 30-45 minute run with the jogger stroller and 10 minutes of core work during naptime
Wednesday-  10 minutes of yoga or rest day
Thursday- spin class before the kids wake up
Friday - Bootcamp with the babies, 20 minute hill workout in the stroller
Saturday - rest day
Sunday - endurance run to get the miles in while partner watches kids

Not only will you prevent injuries from having rest days and doing different workouts, you will likely gain muscle, increase flexibility, and encourage proper muscle recovery. This applies to pregnant and postpartum bodies as well.

Doing something physical every day is wonderful for your mental and physical health, but our muscles actually get stronger on a rest/ repair day vs a workout day. (This doesn't mean you can't do total body workouts two days in a row, but it's important that we're working different muscle groups.)

Let me know if this helps you design your workouts and feel free to email me with questions. I'm always here to help!