While you might not be able to afford a personal trainer or an instructor that will explain the science behind most exercise programs it does not mean you cannot educate yourself and consider the basic factors that make up one’s personal exercise plan.

Things to consider are duration, frequency, intensity and how to incorporate all three to make to the most out of your workout.

The intensity of the workout can be scientifically measured however for this purpose what is meant by the intensity is whether the exercises that you do are of high intensity, moderate or mild. A 2-mile jog might be a mild or moderate exercise for a professional athlete however will mean high intensity and more strenuous exercise for most of us. General health and fitness levels should be considered, however studies have shown that in the long run, of course with a premise you are not a professional athlete, mild to moderate physical activity is all it takes to achieve optimum health and fitness levels.

While considering frequency of exercise it is said body needs a half an hour of physical activity 5 days out of 7 in the week. While it does seem like a lot at first, again we are talking about mild to moderate, not running like an Olympic athlete, a mere walk will suffice.

Which brings us to duration. As said before half an hour, 5 days a week should be enough. However it you have put physical activity on the backburner for some time, it might take a while to achieve these 30 minutes. In case there are some health concerns like chronic disease or old injuries, consult your doctor or a trained professional that will help you with any questions you might have.

To bring it all together, mild to moderate, 30 minutes, 5 days a week. It indeed does sound like a lot, especially if you spend an 8-hour workday sitting in front of a computer, or in front of a TV. And like with anything you have perhaps neglected in the past, it might take will power, perseverance and getting used to. However with the growing rate of obesity in the US and the UK and high percentage of coronary diseases, it is obvious we are not moving as much as we should be. And if you persevere you will reap the benefits much sooner then you think.