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Started By
Message
150 Minutes Per Week: Is More Better?
Posted on 7/11/25 at 12:19 pm
Posted on 7/11/25 at 12:19 pm
BLUF: I’ve been regularly doing 150 minutes of good excercise per week, and the positive effects on my blood sugars are nothing short of amazing. Is the risk/reward of going harder than that worth it?
Long story.
I let myself become fat and diabetic. That’s on me.
Recently, I got a CGM and started pushing up the excercise to 150 minutes per week, which is what The American Diabetes Association recommends. My blood sugars plummeted. They are staying in a far tighter range, and they go up far more slowly than they used to. It’s really incredible.
For exercise, I climb 15 flights of stairs every morning carrying a backpack and my lunch. I also do weight training consisting of major muscle groups, 2 sets and 12 reps. Then I do the elliptical for 20-40 minutes (breaking a sweat in a cold gym). I’ve also recently added a very lightweight kettlebell routine. I am adding in some straight flexibility (yoga) but don’t count that in my 150 minutes.
I’m old enough to collect Social Security, and therefore I’m trying to be very careful and not get overuse injuries. A lot of my jackass friends are having surgeries because they pushed too hard for their age.
I’d like to up the exercise to maybe 200 minutes or more a week. Is the incremental benefit of the additional exercise time outweighed by the increased risk of injury?
I’d really appreciate any input on this or anything else you see.
Long story.
I let myself become fat and diabetic. That’s on me.
Recently, I got a CGM and started pushing up the excercise to 150 minutes per week, which is what The American Diabetes Association recommends. My blood sugars plummeted. They are staying in a far tighter range, and they go up far more slowly than they used to. It’s really incredible.
For exercise, I climb 15 flights of stairs every morning carrying a backpack and my lunch. I also do weight training consisting of major muscle groups, 2 sets and 12 reps. Then I do the elliptical for 20-40 minutes (breaking a sweat in a cold gym). I’ve also recently added a very lightweight kettlebell routine. I am adding in some straight flexibility (yoga) but don’t count that in my 150 minutes.
I’m old enough to collect Social Security, and therefore I’m trying to be very careful and not get overuse injuries. A lot of my jackass friends are having surgeries because they pushed too hard for their age.
I’d like to up the exercise to maybe 200 minutes or more a week. Is the incremental benefit of the additional exercise time outweighed by the increased risk of injury?
I’d really appreciate any input on this or anything else you see.
This post was edited on 7/11/25 at 12:21 pm
6
Posted on 7/11/25 at 12:22 pm to RanchoLaPuerto
quote:
A lot of my jackass friends are having surgeries because they pushed too hard for their age.
They’re having surgery because they didn’t recover enough, not because they pushed too hard. Big distinction
Posted on 7/11/25 at 12:35 pm to Mingo Was His NameO
Got it.
Recommendations on recovery times?
Recommendations on recovery times?
Posted on 7/11/25 at 12:53 pm to RanchoLaPuerto
Listen to your body. You know better than anyone. Older you get spend more time recovering. If anything on days off at least go for 30 min walks and walk like you’re late.
Posted on 7/11/25 at 1:22 pm to stoov
That’s good advice. Thank you.
Posted on 7/11/25 at 1:31 pm to RanchoLaPuerto
Are your minutes calculated by your time in the gym or is it Zone Minutes where your heart rate is above 100?
Posted on 7/11/25 at 1:45 pm to Popths
I measure minutes from the time I start the activity until I stop.
Posted on 7/11/25 at 1:53 pm to RanchoLaPuerto
Keep doing what you’re doing for a while. Let your body catch up to your new activity levels. Slowly, incrementally increase to tolerance, then stabilize again for a while, repeat.
Only your body knows what you can tolerate. Take a rest day every 3-4 days, but still walk. Add in more steps on a daily basis, getting up from the desk more, after dinner, etc. to increase average steps to 10k-15k if you can get there. Slow, consistent effort is better than big jumps that can lead to injury or relapse.
Even when gaining strength, there will be lagging body parts that require some time to acclimate although another area may be ready. For instance, I feel like I can add weight on my dumbbell bench with my chest, but my wrists and stabilizers take a couple weeks to be ready to increase the weights.
Keep exploring new movements/exercises to mix it up and increase strength and flexibility on new ranges of motion and find out what you like. Try the rowing machine one day, check out the bike for a while the next. Hone in on what your body responds to and recovers from easily. Watch the calorie intake and eat whole foods. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Only your body knows what you can tolerate. Take a rest day every 3-4 days, but still walk. Add in more steps on a daily basis, getting up from the desk more, after dinner, etc. to increase average steps to 10k-15k if you can get there. Slow, consistent effort is better than big jumps that can lead to injury or relapse.
Even when gaining strength, there will be lagging body parts that require some time to acclimate although another area may be ready. For instance, I feel like I can add weight on my dumbbell bench with my chest, but my wrists and stabilizers take a couple weeks to be ready to increase the weights.
Keep exploring new movements/exercises to mix it up and increase strength and flexibility on new ranges of motion and find out what you like. Try the rowing machine one day, check out the bike for a while the next. Hone in on what your body responds to and recovers from easily. Watch the calorie intake and eat whole foods. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Posted on 7/11/25 at 2:40 pm to TigerReich
quote:
Keep doing what you’re doing for a while. Let your body catch up to your new activity levels. Slowly, incrementally increase to tolerance, then stabilize again for a while, repeat.
Many exercise programs use the progressive overload strategy. The main two things I do, biking and strength training, I will gradually increase for several weeks, take a reset/recovery week, then start over.
Just as an example on biking, I have a Peloton, and my typical week would be a 45 minute ride on Monday or Tuesday, another 45 minute ride on Wednesday or Thursday, and 60 minutes on the weekend. The next week I would do a slightly harder 45 minute ride to start the week, or a slightly easier 60 minute ride instead. Either way the training load is just a slight increase week over week. Follow something like that for 6-8 weeks and start over after you have adapted.
Posted on 7/13/25 at 8:11 am to RanchoLaPuerto
quote:
Recommendations on recovery times?
48-72 hours.
Rotate different routines so you're always doing something but working different muscles each day.
Posted on 7/13/25 at 8:17 am to Bestbank Tiger
Very good advice. Thank you.
Posted on 7/14/25 at 9:33 am to RanchoLaPuerto
I think you can do 150 minutes of cardio, separate from strength and flexiblity.
I wouldn't necessarily push it much past that because the science is weaker and then you deal with potential cortisol spikes.
The caveat that - if you are training for an endurance event (implicitly in cycles, e.g. marathon, triathlon, etc.) you will have to train up to that event in a cycle using sound athletic and sports nutrition principles.
But for general health and fitness, 150 minutes of cardio (separate from strength training) seems supportable and sustainable for life.
I wouldn't necessarily push it much past that because the science is weaker and then you deal with potential cortisol spikes.
The caveat that - if you are training for an endurance event (implicitly in cycles, e.g. marathon, triathlon, etc.) you will have to train up to that event in a cycle using sound athletic and sports nutrition principles.
But for general health and fitness, 150 minutes of cardio (separate from strength training) seems supportable and sustainable for life.
Posted on 7/21/25 at 5:28 pm to TigerReich
quote:
Keep exploring new movements/exercises to mix it up and increase strength and flexibility on new ranges of motion and find out what you like.
OP should check out MovNat. They will email a weekly workout. Pick and choose which movements you want to do. This old guys loves the variety of movement and MovNat is the reason I lost 20 pounds because I don't get bored. In fact, this makes year I have been practicing.
Posted on 7/21/25 at 9:25 pm to RanchoLaPuerto
How old are you?
Posted on 7/22/25 at 7:49 am to RanchoLaPuerto
What nutritional changes have you made? That’s going to have a far greater impact on your health than a few more minutes a week of exercise
Posted on 7/22/25 at 7:54 am to RanchoLaPuerto
Glad you are making changes. The only thing I didn’t see you mention was your diet.. you can never out work bad habits. Make sure you are focused on getting plenty of protein..
Get at least 30 to 50 grams per meal. You have to fuel your muscles and lean protein will help you build strength and lose fat. Get plenty of berries and greens. Exercising and strength training is good but you have to have the right fuel. Start counting your macros. There are plenty of good apps. I use MyFitnessPal. I takes discipline but it well worth the rewards. Do not discount the need for protein. Keep going and best wishes.
Get at least 30 to 50 grams per meal. You have to fuel your muscles and lean protein will help you build strength and lose fat. Get plenty of berries and greens. Exercising and strength training is good but you have to have the right fuel. Start counting your macros. There are plenty of good apps. I use MyFitnessPal. I takes discipline but it well worth the rewards. Do not discount the need for protein. Keep going and best wishes.
Posted on 7/22/25 at 8:30 am to WDE24
quote:
What nutritional changes have you made? That’s going to have a far greater impact on your health than a few more minutes a week of exercise
Good question—
1). Low carb. I’ve cut out bread (except maybe once a week) and most starches.
2). Increased vegetables. I eat a lot of vegetables and a large variety. Almost every meal (except breakfast) includes greens of some kind and cruciferous vegetables. At least once a week I add in Brussels sprouts and cabbage. And I am also regularly eating mushrooms. I eat a small serving of carrots maybe once a week.
3). Fruit, but not a lot. I eat one serving of fruit per day. Mostly I go with an apple or a serving (measured) of blueberries. Many varieties of fruit just make my blood sugar soar, so I’m careful about that.
4). Dairy. About two servings a day. It is either low fat milk or plain yogurt or both.
5). High protein. I eat lean beef, pork, chicken thighs, and fish. I haven’t actually counted grams of protein every day, so I should probably start that.
6). No artificial sweeteners. Black coffee and water are pretty much all I drink.
I’m open to suggestions on additional changes I can make.
Posted on 7/22/25 at 9:16 am to RanchoLaPuerto
That looks like a solid plan on the diet. If I had any recommendations it would be to eliminate the bread and milk. If you drink any alcohol, eliminate that. Start measuring and tracking your macros and be sure to greatly prioritize protein intake.
You may also be a great candidate for a GLP-1 to assist you in maintaining your diet if you find you are struggling to consistently lose weight or adhere to this new diet.
Keep moving forward. It sounds like you are making a lot of good changes.
With respect to your exercise, you are wise to be cautious and concerned with injury prevention at your age. Recovery from an injury, especially one that requires surgery, is a huge set back and that set back is greatly magnified as we age.
I would keep doing what you are doing for 4-6 weeks to ingrain the behavior as a habit. Then you can start adding additional time/weight/routines to keep the needle moving and avoid boredom with the routine.
You may also be a great candidate for a GLP-1 to assist you in maintaining your diet if you find you are struggling to consistently lose weight or adhere to this new diet.
Keep moving forward. It sounds like you are making a lot of good changes.
With respect to your exercise, you are wise to be cautious and concerned with injury prevention at your age. Recovery from an injury, especially one that requires surgery, is a huge set back and that set back is greatly magnified as we age.
I would keep doing what you are doing for 4-6 weeks to ingrain the behavior as a habit. Then you can start adding additional time/weight/routines to keep the needle moving and avoid boredom with the routine.
This post was edited on 7/22/25 at 9:24 am
Posted on 7/22/25 at 9:20 am to WDE24
quote:
You may also be a great candidate for a GLP-1
There it is. MOAR PHARMA
Posted on 7/22/25 at 9:27 am to Mingo Was His NameO
A 62+ year old with type 2 diabetes can extend his life and improve his health significantly with drastic weight loss. The absolute ideal candidate for a GLP1.
Your personal grudge against someone “cheating” to lose weight makes little difference for someone like op.
Your personal grudge against someone “cheating” to lose weight makes little difference for someone like op.
This post was edited on 7/22/25 at 9:30 am
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