Here’s what it’s actually like to get the ‘recommended’ amount of exercise each week

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Caroline Praderio/INSIDER

The INSIDER Summary:
I don’t exercise enough.
So I challenged myself to get the amount of physical activity recommended by the US Department of Health and Human Services: 30 minutes of moderate activity five times a week.
It made me realize the importance of enjoying your workouts.
I absolutely do not get enough exercise.

I have heard tales of people who people genuinely feel compelled to work out. They have runner’s highs, personal records, and favorite workout classes in which to feel the burn. I am not one of those people. Left to its own devices, my body feels most compelled to curl up on the couch with some coffee and a book.

Because I live in New York City, everyday tasks like grocery shopping, laundry, and getting to work do require a fair amount of walking and stair climbing. But currently I’m making it to the gym for dedicated workouts only about once a week. I’m also a dancer, so I occasionally take dance classes.

Still, most weeks I’m not coming close to the amount of physical activity recommended for active American adults: at least 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise per week. That breaks down to 30 minutes a day five times a week.

And because exercise helps strengthen bones and muscles, prevent certain cancers, improve mental health, and increase the odds of living longer, I know that I should make more time for it. So I started a little experiment: How would I feel if I really committed to getting that two hours and 30 minutes of physical activity over seven days? Here’s how it all went down.

I used walking, weightlifting, rowing, jogging, and dancing to hit my exercise goal for the week.

Caroline Praderio/INSIDER

On the first day I opted for a brisk 30 minute walk around my neighborhood before my usual weekly grocery run. (Yes, "brisk walking" does count as moderate-intensity exercise, according to the official guidelines. I checked.) To make sure I was really getting my heart rate up, I dialed up my walking speed to the pace I like to call "S—, I’m really late."

On day two, I got up early and tried a pre-work, 45-minute rowing session at a fitness studio called Row House. (It came highly recommended by a friend.) We strapped into the indoor rowing machines and tried to match pace with the instructor. I couldn’t hear a thing she said over the thumping club-esque music playing in the studio, but I liked that I could zone out once I got the hang of the repetitive rowing motion.

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On day four, after dinner and some TV watching, I went to my gym. I keep up a membership there mostly because it’s only $10 a month, but also because they keep a bucket of Tootsie Rolls at the front desk. Sometimes that promise of two measly candies — one upon arrival, another on the way home — is the only thing that gets me off the couch. On this night I stuck to my usual routine: I ran the half mile to the gym, lifted weights on the machines for about 25 minutes, then ran the half mile home.

Caroline Praderio/INSIDER

I couldn’t carve out time to exercise on days five or six, which meant I had to double up on day seven. Luckily, I had the opportunity to sweat through an hour-long, heart-pumping dance class.

I have to be honest: After only a week of upping my physical activity, I didn’t feel different. I think moving more helped me fall asleep a bit faster, but there was no dramatic physical transformation.

But I still learned something valuable: Enjoying your exercise is almost as important as the exercise itself.

Caroline Praderio/INSIDER

During my week-long experiment, I tried to pay attention to the way I felt during exercise. Some things — like dancing or walking fast to a favorite song on a warm, breezy night — were actually quite pleasant, even as I worked up a sweat.

Others — like running and lifting weights at the gym — were not so pleasant. All I could think about as I moved through the motions was how I couldn’t wait until I was done. I’ve felt the same about other workouts I’ve tried throughout my life: HIIT-style classes, jogging on a treadmill, the Tae Bo tapes I slogged through as a teenager.

It’s not that these workouts are too hard — I could take a difficult dance class, sweat straight through my t-shirt, and not even feel like I’m exercising. There are just some workouts that I do not like.

Even the timing has to be right, I think. I really enjoyed that rowing class, but something about exercising first thing in the morning makes my very soul ache. Had it happened around 10 p.m. — my preferred exercise time slot — things might be different.

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I’d wager that everybody could identify some form of exercise they find torturous, regardless of intensity level. And sure, forcing yourself to do that workout might burn calories and promote your health in the moment. But if you actively dread it, you probably won’t do it regularly. What good is that in the long run?

Depending on your current perspective on exercise, this concept may strike you as either totally obvious or totally wrong. It does contradict popular "fitspiration" mantras that frame exercise only as an inherently painful path to "results" — not as potentially enjoyable activity. (I’m talking about those Instagram memes that say things like "If it’s not hurting, it’s not working," and "Sweat More, B—- Less").

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But wherever you’re coming from, it’s good to know that there is some scientific evidence to support the idea of sticking to workouts you actually like. Several different studies have found that self-reported levels of enjoyment can predict how well people stick to exercise routines.

Who knows: Maybe some people can force themselves to regularly perform workouts they hate. I can’t. So I’m going to do more of the activities that make sweating seem like fun: Long walks with a great playlist, dancing, and maybe some late-night rowing classes, when my budget allows. And hopefully I’ll keep on discovering new workouts I genuinely enjoy.

I’ll start scaling back on those gym trips, too, though I probably won’t relinquish my membership entirely. Those Tootsie Roll cravings aren’t going to take care of themselves.

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