Dear Sarah,

Is it better to spread out my workout days? For example, is going to the gym on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday better than going three days in a row, such as Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday?

Carly

Dear Carly,

The short answer is that it is better to workout every other day. Why that is true makes for a longer answer. A workout is just that-work!-and after a tough round at the gym your body needs time to both rest and regain resources.

It is important to consider how your body is affected by exercise when planning your workout schedule. The two main types of exercise we engage in are cardiovascular and muscle building (and of course we take time to stretch the muscles after each).

Cardiovascular fitness is a measure of your body's ability to get oxygen and blood to the muscles. You can improve your cardiovascular system's efficiency through regular training. For improving cardiovascular fitness, I recommend, three or four times per week for 20 to 40 minutes per session. A rest period of 24 hours is recommended for the body to obtain adequate rest and fuel to prepare for the next workout.

While the 24 hours gives your cardiovascular system enough rest, it may not give your muscles the break they need. A great way to ensure adequate recovery is to change your cardio routine from day to day so that you use your muscles differently i.e. running, stair climbing, or cycling.

Muscles do not grow while you are working out; they grow while you are resting. Muscular training stresses and damages the muscles slightly, and then your body reacts by building up the muscles in order to handle the extra work and stress. A rest period of 48 hours is recommended for the body to obtain adequate rest and fuel to repair the muscles.

You can work out more often and give your muscles the rest they need by combining cardiovascular workouts and alternating the muscles you work on each day. For example:

• Upper body on Monday and Friday
• Lower body on Wednesday and Monday of the next week.

When alternating muscles groups you must be careful not to overwork your system. Even though each muscle group is getting the rest it needs, your body isn't. Your body is still trying to repair the legs from Monday's workout when Tuesday and Wednesday roll around! Be sure to take 1-2 full days of rest.

Remember that even on your days of rest, the workout you put in the day before continues to offer a vast array of non-physical benefits. All that activity can bolster your creativity, improve your problem-solving ability and simply improve your outlook on life!

Sarah Brown is a very healthy woman. She is not only a fitness intructor at Goodlife where she teaches Body Pump, Body Flow and yoga but she is also a registered holistic nutritionist. If you have a question for Sarah, leave a comment below and she will try and help, but note that not all questions will be answered.