Workout goals are important. How do you know if your family workout goals are making any difference at all? How long does it take to see results from working out? Results for workout goals are personal. Changes to your physical appearance and health look different for each person in the family and change doesn’t happen overnight. Let’s look at three things to consider when figuring out long it takes to get results from your family’s workouts. 

Cardio Training 

Many people work out to become fit. One aspect of improving your fitness is to increase your endurance. Cardiovascular endurance is reflected in greater aerobic capacity. When your cardio endurance improves, your resting heart rate usually goes down. 

To boost your cardiovascular health, you would try to spend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise three times per week. If you do this regularly, you might expect to see some results in 8 to 12 weeks.

High-intensity interval training (HITT) is a “fast track” way to improve your resting heart rate. With this style of workout, a person can usually start to lower their heart rate within a couple of weeks of training. A healthy resting heart rate to aim for is between 40 and 60. Evidence indicates that interval training is a superior way to lower heart rate when you compare it to moderate intensity interval training or moderate intensity continuous training, like jogging. 

HITT might also contribute to a longer lasting calorie burn according to a study done in 2017. To be specific, this is talking about a moderate calorie burn after a moderate intensity workout. And while not as much as a high intensity workout calorie burn, it is may still provide benefits is using calories.

Muscle Growth

Lifting weights is one of the best ways to increase muscle mass, and it is one of the best ways to lose weight. This is because the best way to increase your metabolic rate is to have more muscle mass. 

3 to 5 weightlifting sessions a week where you are doing 6 to 12 repetitions for 3 to 5 sets is the target sweet spot for muscle growth. Remember to rest for no longer than 60 seconds between sets. 

One of the biggest factors in gaining muscle is watching the amount of protein you are eating. Most experts suggest you try to consume 25 to 30 grams of protein at each meal to stay satisfied and promote a healthy body composition. 

Calorie Deficit

Setting a goal of losing weight is personal. There are many factors to consider. It’s more than just eating less and exercising more.  For many people, there are other considerations that affect weight loss. Some people have hormonal health issues or a chronic health condition. Other people may have a mental health issue like depression or anxiety. Still others are on medications that might make it more difficult for a person to lose weight compared to someone who does not take any meds. 

Keeping all of that in mind, it’s generally understood that burning more calories than you consume, also called “calorie deficit,” is one of the main factors in losing weight. To lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, a person would need to create a 2000 calorie deficit per week.  People must pay attention to their protein intake in their meal planning so as not to lose muscle mass.

it is important to remember that the extra weight probably did not come on quickly. It took time to put on those extra pounds, and it is going to take time to take those extra pounds off. 

It may take 8 to 12 weeks, or even 16 weeks, to notice a difference in a person’s weight. Other factors to consider when looking for results from workouts: 

• Size of Person: a 10-pound loss would look different on a 5-foot, 2-inch woman compared to a 6-foot, 1 inch man.
• Method of measuring weight loss: One person might be tracking their weight on a scale every weekend. Others want to see waist circumference or body fat percentages to show a reduction.

Exercise can make a big difference in weight loss goals, so add cardio training and weight training to calorie watching or food monitoring for the best results. 

Action Step

Track your cardio, weightlifting, and food to help you see results from your workouts. Remember that, in general, people can usually see initial changes within four to six weeks and actual results within 8 to 12 weeks of starting their workouts. Making workouts a lifelong practice will bring desired results. 

May God bless you on your wellness journey!

Joni

P.S. How long has it taken you to see results from working out?