Key thing most people get wrong when working out

Harry Bullmore talks to fitness experts about what everyone should be doing for a well-rounded weekly exercise routine

- Harry Bullmore

As a fitness writer, I understand time is precious, and squeezing any exercise into a whirlwind week is to be applauded. But if you are outrageously busy, the chances are that you want maximum bang for your buck from your workouts, and many are missing the mark on intensity, which means leaving potential health perks on the table.

Intensity is a relative term - what is easy for one person may be hard for another. The important thing is finding a level that works for you. It's not all about working harder either; rather, you need to identify the appropriate intensity in your workouts to deliver the desired benefits, whether that's improved endurance, better strength, more muscle, weight loss or otherwise.

Below, I speak to two experts on the topic to help you find the Goldilocks premium workout intensity for your chosen health and fitness goals.

Why is exercise intensity important?

Life can be viewed as a constant conversation with our bodies. Everything we do sends our body a message, and our body usually tries to make life a little easier by adapting accordingly.

Case in point: if you lift progressively heavier weights over the course of a few weeks, you are likely to become stronger, build some muscle and improve your bone density. If you run progressively faster or further for a few weeks, your heart and lungs will become more efficient to help energise your exercise efforts.

But to trigger the benefits we want from exercise, we need to send the body a strong enough message - this is where intensity comes in.

If the intensity is too low, the message is weaker and the body sees no need to change - for example, lifting weights in the gym that feel incredibly light, or going for a slow walk as a marathon runner. When the task feels easy, why adapt?