The coaches at MetPro have found the ideal frequency is around 5 days per week. This doesn’t mean you should be discouraged if you’re not able to exercise that often. Even a few times per week can have a positive impact on your health and progress! If you’re a beginner start slow. If you’re an experienced athlete, you might occasionally participate in extended training sessions or break up a bigger session over the day.
For the average person just getting started (or restarted) we recommend smaller but more frequent workouts to create a habit in your schedule, and something for your body and metabolism to get used to. Always listen to your body and take rest days when necessary.
If you’re participating in strength training or conditioning that is more taxing on a specific muscle group, you may need to skip a day here or there, or select a muscle group that’s not been recently worked to prevent overtraining or risk of injury.
Take rest days! Even if you find you enjoy being active every day, set some days aside for recovery or at least “active recovery” where your activities don’t tax your body. For beginners this might just be a day to walk or go on a short hike. For Athletes it might be a day for mobility, stretching, or similar light activity.
Good for your heart. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week. That breaks down to 30 minutes a day 5 times per week.