Attending yoga classes several times a week has been a fashionable approach to exercise for women for decades — but it may not be beneficial in the long run.
Dr. Zach Turner, preventive health and wellness expert from Sydney He shares what he thinks is his ‘ideal’ workout.
And repeating the same movement over and over again is a big no-no.
Instead, he recommends mixing up your workouts throughout the week and not focusing on one type of activity — like yoga — because that can have limited health benefits.
“I have patients who attend five yoga classes a week — but life is full of challenges,” Dr. Turner said.
While yoga is great in many ways, it doesn’t provide you with the cardiovascular support you need. Although it reduces stress and cortisol, it doesn’t build many of the things you need Alzheimer’s such as prevention of lactic acidosis and prevention of dementia.’
The secret to a successful week’s workouts are varied and Dr. Turner suggests four main components: yoga, weights, cardio and Pilates.
The biggest mistake people make is not doing a variety of exercises. People go and do weights but avoid yoga because it requires muscles. Yoga is not only for stretching, but it is important to have strong bones. And going for a walk is great, but it doesn’t help upper body strength or bone strength in the long term.’
Dr. Zach Turner, a preventive health and wellness expert, shares what he says is the ‘ideal’ exercise routine – and repeating the same activity over and over again is a big no-no.
Assuming you have an hour of free time a day to exercise, Dr. Turner says, you should.15 minutes of Pilates and stretching to warm up your body, followed by 15 minutes of cardio for heart health, then 15 minutes of weights for bone strength.
‘I recommend finishing with 15 minutes of yoga for meditation.’
While many choose running as their go-to cardio, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this type of exercise—especially for people with limited mobility.
People always think about running, but for many it is not an option. There are plenty of other low-impact things you can do to make it easier on your hips and knees.’
Dr Turner is a big advocate of rowing, which is ‘probably the best all-round cardio exercise’ apart from being ‘easy on your hips and knees’.
Five to 10 minutes on the rowing machine and 20 to 30 minutes of jogging, for example.
Dr Turner says you should adjust how you start your day: ‘It’s less about getting nutrients and less about getting rid of toxins when you wake up in the morning.
“Get up, drink 500ml of water and cut calories for the next hour. No fat, sugar or protein. Try and drink green tea or herbal tea or two shots of coffee.”
If you can get some morning sun, that’s even better. The 8 am wavelength is very important to allow you to absorb vitamin D in the middle of the day.
‘Sunshine also regulates your pineal gland and sleep cycles.’
Dr. Turner attends a pilates or yoga class on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, but makes sure to incorporate more intense strength exercises throughout the week (stock image)
How should you structure your exercise during the week?
As for his own weekly routine, Dr. Turner does Pilates or yoga on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, followed by something more vigorous.
‘Then I’ll go into a bit of a big cardio or weights session,’ he says. ‘I love doing kickboxing or boxing classes because it’s great for mental health.
Alternate between what you’re following – don’t burn yourself out. It’s not about pushing yourself to the extreme every week – it’s also about having lighter days and days off.’
On Thursdays, Dr. Zach focuses on upper body strength by doing bench presses, shoulder exercises, and bis curls.
He recommends ending the week with a high intensity interval training (HIIT) workout on Friday.
‘Also on Fridays I get in the pool or row more,’ he said. I also alternate that with a sauna or an ice bath.’
On Saturdays, Dr. Turner has more time on his hands and a longer workout, but he He recommends resting on Sunday and going to bed early.
This will help you start your week well rested and in a positive mood.
Five to 10 minutes on a rowing machine can be the equivalent of 20 to 30 minutes of running, which will optimize cardiovascular activity, says Dr. Turner (stock image).
In addition to this weekly routine, Dr. Turner recommends that everyone do several small lifestyle changes to become more active, known as spontaneous exercise.
‘I always try to take stairs and avoid escalators,’ he says, for example.
One of the biggest obstacles is sitting for long periods of time – so people have to change office ergonomics to have standing desks and footstools.
I always tell patients to schedule their phone calls when they need to go outside for a walk. Everyone should get up and move at least every half hour.’
