How Long Should You Exercise for Effective Weight Loss? Trainers Reveal the Ideal 30-45 Minute ‘Sweet Spot’
If you’re aiming to lose weight through exercise, spending hours at the gym may not only be unnecessary but could actually work against your goals, according to leading fitness experts.
Personal trainer Stephanie Mansour, a TODAY contributor and one of the trainers featured on the Start TODAY app, recommends keeping effective workouts in the 30 to 45-minute range. She describes this duration as the “sweet spot” for achieving meaningful fat loss, burning calories, building muscle, and maintaining long-term consistency without over-stressing the body.
Mansour explains that sessions shorter than 30 minutes often fail to provide enough stimulus for significant metabolic or fat-burning benefits, while workouts exceeding 45 minutes can lead to excessive fatigue, muscle soreness, increa...