Perhaps you’ve got “the big day” approaching. Or, you are trying to boost your regime to lose those last pesky five pounds. Or, you’re simply looking to blast your body from flab to fab. No matter the reason for wanting that extra exercise in your day, we salute you but we do have to ask: is working out more than once a day really helping you at all? Or is this just a myth?
According to professionals the answer is yes, working out twice a day really can help your system, but as with any fitness and lifestyle change, there are guidelines that need to be followed in order for your two-a-day workout sessions to become a success.
Here’s everything you need to know about two-a-day workouts—including the potential benefits, risks, and best practices for making them work for you and your fitness goals.
Go halfsies on cardio and strength training
Making sure that you do differing types of training throughout the day helps to reduce the risk of injury from overtraining. Research shows that waking up with cardio can actually help with weight loss.
Space out your sessions
Don’t try and do a session in the morning and a session on your lunch break – it’s too close together and your body will burn out faster than if you do a workout in the morning and one in the evening.
Make sure you know your limit
We know it’s tough when you have a deadline to make, but ensure you know the difference between working towards a goal and working without one. Two-a-days are not something you should do long term. Try keeping them to a two week max periods and then come back to them after a break if you need to.
Get enough rest
Take at least one full rest day each week. Working out twice a day can exhaust your system, leading to potential burnout and ensuring you give your muscles time to recover is just as important as working them out.
