Exercise has numerous benefits, so it should be done every day, at least most days of the week. It promotes quality sleep, gives a boost to the brainpower, and of course, improves your serotonin levels, which equates to happiness. Since exercise has so many benefits, it should never be boring. The only way that you can make exercise interesting is to add variety. This way you are never going to hit a plateau and do not have to repeat your workouts ever.  The point is how you can structure your workout plan to make the most of it. Well, we will tell you exactly that. The right workout spaced out throughout the week would hit every muscle group and accelerate fat loss, all the while packing in some lean muscle.

Monday – Hit Your Upper Body

Strength training is your secret tool in your weight loss kitty. We get that taking up those dumbbells or barbells may not be the easiest thing to do at all, but its benefits far outweigh its risks. Strength training can help build lean muscle, improve your bone strength, and prevent injury. Start with an upper-body strength workout. Remember, the higher you lift with good form, the better are your chances of building lean muscles. Even if you work out at home, maintain good form to avoid injuries, and yes, cater to your nutrition levels.

Tuesday – Lower-Body Strength Training

When it comes to strength training, you need at least 48 hours of recovery time between workout schedules. So if you hit your upper body on Monday, ensure you give it a break the day after and work on some other body part instead, say the lower body. This way your upper body will have ample time to recover and repair the muscle tears.

Wednesday – Yoga or a Light Cardio

When you do high-impact workouts for consecutive days, ensure you try a low-impact day that will give your body enough time to recover till it is up for another spate of heavy workouts again. This chopping and changing in your workout routine will give your body enough time to burn major calories. The best way to do this is yoga or some light cardio.

Thursday – HIIT it Up

The best part of HIIT is you get the most bang for your buck. You get to finish a workout in a spate of 20 or 30 minutes in place of 60, but they are equally effective, if not more. Also, it is a fun yet challenging way to work out as it includes a variety of movements. You can also try HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) as you walk or run for five minutes then lower the intensity for a few minutes and then switch it up again. Science says short bursts of high-intensity workouts combined with lower intensity ones show greater results in a shorter time period.

Friday – Full Body Strength Training

Heavier compound lifts are the key to achieving optimum fitness levels. Hit those quads, glutes, hamstrings, chest, upper back, and core. It involves more muscle groups with a variety of workouts such as the plank, and plank variations, squat, bench press, and weighted rowing movements.

Saturday – Steady-State Cardio

While HIIT is all you want to do to get better benefits in a shorter time period, the truth is you can’t do it every day. Make sure you don’t forget to include steady-state cardio in your regime. Steady-state workouts help work on your heart and increase your lifespan. In fact, a recent study showed that just including running two hours of cardio a week can improve your lifespan to a great extent. So you cannot do strength- training for running or vice versa. Biking offers some great benefits as well, as it not only helps you live longer, but it cuts down your risk for cancer and heart disease by almost half.

Sunday – Rest Day

Fitness is not about doing workouts for 15 days straight and then forgetting all about it for the next 15. There is every chance of burnout, so go slow but go steady. Listen to your body giving you cues. Remember you are in it for the long haul. So, rest it out for that one day to allow your body to recover. This way you’ll look forward to your Monday and hit up your workout routine once again!

Just remember, you keep changing your routine, this will keep you interested and invested in your workout and make fitness your best buddy throughout your life. One that you won’t be willing to let go of, come what may.