Looking for the word “fast,” or “in 4 days,” aren’t you? Not going to find it here. I know – I’m such a party pooper. Remember when your grandmother told you that “nothing worth having comes easily?” My friends, I’m afraid grandma nailed that one.

Standing in line at the neighborhood Walgreens the other evening (buying milk, if you must know), I counted no fewer than five products at the checkout – all promising to help you lose weight FAST, melt fat while you sleep…I half expected to see one that read, “Sneeze, and lose 5 lbs instantly!” The sadder part is that people buy vats of this stuff, and expect it to work!

So, now that you understand your best ally while on your mission to lose weight, tone up, improve fitness, etc. is TIME, how much time does it take to get you where you want to be?

It depends.  I promise – the ambiguity stops here. Let me elaborate. Age, weight, current fitness level, exercise history, level of commitment, motivation, consistency, and exercise mode (whether you are doing all cardio, all strength training, or a combination of both), all affect the end result(s).

Given that there are so many variables at play, let’s start with your goal in mind.

Are you hoping to improve your overall strength? If you 8-10 exercises and you do them correctly, lifting enough weight to completely fatigue the muscles in 8-12 repetitions, and you strength train 2-3 times per week, you will likely see visible results in a six or seven weeks. (ACE Fitness Matters, July/Aug 2009)

Are you training for your first 5K? If you have done little to no cardiovascular exercise up to this point, give yourself at least 8-12 weeks to train. Start slowly, doing walk/run intervals for 15-20 minutes per cardio session, gradually increasing the time until you can sustain a bout of cardio for at least 30 minutes without stopping. I recommend applying the 2-5% rule for progressing cardio programs. Read more about that here…  If you consistently stick with a three to four-day per week routine, you will notice that at the three month mark, the cardio sessions will seem much easier (you’ll feel less breathless, muscles will take longer to fatigue, and your resting heart rate may start to decrease).

Are you stiff as a board and hoping to someday be able to touch your toes? Flexibility is largely genetic, however you can improve your joint range of motion and relieve muscle tightness with a focused stretching routine, two to three times per week. Your routine should include all of the major muscles, especially the ones that are overused. For example, if you sit for long periods during the day, your hip flexors and hamstrings are likely tight. And I always recommend stretching the lower back. Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds, and ideally, perform two sets of each stretch. You should see improvement within three or four weeks.

It is important to note that once you reach the level of fitness or flexibility you desire, you have to continue to exercise/stretch, or your hard work will soon disappear. So don’t get lazy – keep at it!