What Happens if You Workout Every Day?

Working out on a daily basis can be beneficial to your health. Mayoclinic.com states that regular exercise can boost your energy level, improve your mood, control your weight, make you sleep better at night and lower your risk for such medical conditions as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Performing the wrong type of exercise and exercising for hours a day can result in burnout. To prevent this, learn how you can enjoy health benefits associated with regular exercise by performing the right type and the right amount of exercise every day.

Many people think that the more they exercise, the quicker they'll reach their fitness goals. This can backfire. If you exercise every day for hours at a time and combine both cardiovascular and strength training, you might be over-training yourself. Aside from having no time for anything else, Shape.com states that exercising too much can result in problems sleeping, moodiness, a bigger appetite, weight gain and exhaustion. Additionally, women may experience menstrual problems and premature bone loss. Even when you perform the right amount and the right type of exercise every day, it never hurts to take a day off.

To enjoy health benefits, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend getting at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per week. If you want to exercise every day, schedule 30 minutes of cardio on five of the days. Exercise at an intensity that allows you to talk, but not sing. Perform a variety of cardiovascular exercises, such as riding a bike, speed-walking, swimming or exercising on the elliptical machine or stair climber. To experience greater health benefits and to promote weight loss, increase your cardio exercise to one hour.

Strength training strengthens your muscle, tones your body and speeds up your resting metabolic rate so you burn calories even after completing your workout. The CDC recommends incorporating strength training at least two days a week. If you want to exercise every day, try strength training on the two days that you don't perform cardio. Use enough weight so that the last repetition of each set is difficult to complete. Avoid performing strength training on consecutive days; give your muscles at least 24 hours between sessions to recover. If you do strength train on consecutive days, train different muscle groups on each day to avoid overexertion: Train your upper body on one day and your lower body the next, for example.

If you have a medical condition, get a doctor's approval before starting your workout regimen. If you're new to exercise, consider hiring a personal trainer. He can assess your fitness level and create a customized workout routine for you. Additionally, he can teach you the proper form so you get the maximum results from your workouts. Always start exercising slowly. You might start with just 10 minutes of cardio per day and gradually increase the duration as you build endurance. Remember that taking the stairs, mowing the lawn, washing the car and walking around the mall are also part of leading an active lifestyle.