Is it OK to Work Out Every Day?

I am not giving medical advice, and, of course, you should talk to your doctor before embarking on an exercise program. I will simply tell you what I do. I work out every day. I make no excuses for myself, and it gets done. Well, not quite. I have a few excuses that allow me to cancel my exercise.
If I’m sick,

stuck in the cabin in a plane for 12 hours,

or have a non-stop 18-hour schedule

I’ll skip my training. These excuses come up rarely, however—maybe 20 times each year. The other 345 days of the year I exercise. It is very important that there is rarely a decision to make about exercise. The question is automatically when (not whether) I’m going to get it done and what I’m going to do.

My schedule is probably similar to yours, and I am busy. I’m a full-time high school teacher (including A.P. courses), department head, musician, and father of five. I get a normal amount of sleep and time with my significant other. I don’t watch any television. My work outs are usually between 20 and 40 minutes long, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the evening. This won’t prepare me for a triathlon, but will keep my weight about where I want it, develop muscularity, keep me healthy, moderate my mood, and make it easier to adapt to life’s problems. I can’t prove it, but I believe that the 20-40 minutes exercising gives me back 60 minutes of increased productivity. See my previous post on teachers and fitness here.

I’m 50 years-old. I can’t run as fast as I once could, but I can still put on my shoes and go. Running is my favorite exercise. It gives me a chance to be with myself and sort through problems and brainstorm for solutions. Running gives me the time to process and work through negative emotions. I do the other exercises to keep me running. As long as I don’t complete two hard workouts, either in mileage or intensity, in a row, my knees and feet don’t give me problems. So what do I alternate with running? A strength workout is increasingly important as we age, protecting our bone density and helping us balance (protecting against falls). For more information about the medical benefits of exercise, especially as we age,

see the classic Younger Next Year.
I enjoy the weights and machines at the gym because I can casually measure improvement, but those that don’t have access to a gym can do pushups, pull-ups (if the local school has a pull-up bar), and sit-ups. (See Sam’s previous post for a fun way of getting the exercise done.) My body can’t tolerate strength exercises more than three days per week. So I also enjoy an occasional longer work out on the exercise or mountain bike or rowing machine. Sometimes I go for a long walk—seven miles or more—if I have the time and the weather is nice. You may hate running and enjoy yoga instead. The important part is doing something, and I find doing it every day, making the exercise automatic and habitual, works the best.

I am not trying to win any competitions. I am not racer-thin or have the physique of a body builder. What have I accomplished with my daily work outs? I have improved the quality of my life, physically, mentally, and emotionally.