Keeping up my workouts

[YaBoii]

Hello there!

I just made an account on this website, but have been doing my first program (Ironheart) and I am almost done with it. ()

I was wondering, as preparation for finishing this program, what exactly is the idea behind the programs, or what is a smart way to approach them? What I've been doing so far: at whatever time I have in my day, warm up, do my daily workout, then stretch. Should I just pick another program and do the same routine after finishing this program?

Like is the idea that doing a program is a good amount of workout (more specifically for me who hasn't done it in a while now) or is the idea that between warm up and stretching, I should do the program and add some smaller exercises or challenges to do as much working out as I can?

I hope my question isn't worded too confusingly.
Thanks in advance!

[CaptainCanuck]

Most industrialized countries (if not all of them) have an issue with adults being too sedentary, and the levels of physical activity which are suggested are extremely low. In Canada for instance, about 10 years ago the recommended amount of physical activity per week was dropped by about 100 minutes, in the hopes that it would become more of an achievable goal (it still isn't really). There are a lot of factors at play in society to keep us less active, but of course our regular lives are an issue in themselves. That said, any amount of time that you can give to exercise is time well spent. It is a lot easier to build into a healthy habit if you make it part of your routine, which you seem to be doing.

As to how much you exercise, it is a question of what you are trying to achieve. If you are interested in general fitness then you are on a good path. If you want to become better at any given thing, then you will probably have to continue training towards that. I have been a bit all over the place in the past years, depending on what I have, between working out three times a week for 2 hours each time, to the routine I have now. Habits and scheduling is good, but whatever works for you is best.

[thinman]

My last job was general labourer for a builder, pretty much got paid to exercise. Now at 69 I train everyday, always walk, three 75 min advanced Yoga classes a week and gym 4 days a week, 1/2 hour of Tai Chi plus sword and sabre forms every morning. Just to give an idea of what an older bloke does. My apartment also has an indoor pool so do some swimming.

[lofivelcro]

Imo, you have to experiment and see what works for you. If you can do your current load of workouts without problems and get enough rest, by all means, add something if you feel like it. An additional challenge is always a good start, because their additional load is comparatively small and increases over the course of 30 days. If that proves to be too much yet, drop it. Or start by doing the Daily Dare, with or without EC. Or the Workout of the Day. Or determine in which area you want to get better and choose workouts from the database. Start small, and if it gets too easy, add more.
If your current routine has worked for you so far, keep it and add to that. Don't hesitate to experiment and don't feel bad if you have to drop something. Keep an eye on how you feel over the course of the next days/weeks. If your sleep quality suffers, or you feel tired and exhausted, or in an unusual bad mood, dial the intensity down. Otherwise, you're doing fine.

[GentleOx]

In theory, (I think) the Darebee programs are supposed to be sufficient exercise for the day. Many of us add extra exercises like the Daily Dare, and track our daily steps. It comes down to personal taste.

Speaking of which...

What other posters in this thread are getting at is this: Is this enough exercise for you? Is it the *right* kind of exercise for you?

We're all quite different. My daily exercise is going to the gym and hitting the weights, doing some cardio and then walking back home. I used to supplement this with a Darebee program, but I found it too tiring.

So it's about finding what works for you. lofivelcro outlined some guidelines that are a good starting point.

[YaBoii]

I forgot to answer, but thank you all for answering my question!! It really helped me out after finishing my first program!