When embarking on a fitness journey or starting a training programme at Studio Fitness, one of the most common things people ask me is how long it takes to see results from working out. While the endorphin rush and mood boost are huge almost-instant benefits, we get it – a big source of motivation for many people comes from seeing their fitness, strength, or body composition changes.
Knowing a rough timeline for goals like this can help you stay the course and avoid feeling discouraged. You might notice some positive changes after your very first workout, some might take a few weeks, and others might take months. Good things take time, so hang in there and remember why you started. We’re in this for the long game!
It’s also important to know that this is a tough question to give a definitive answer to, as fitness looks and feels different for everyone, and ability, goals and motivation will differ from person to person.
The time it takes to achieve your goals and see the results you want may vary depending on factors like your base fitness level, any health issues or previous injuries, how frequently you work out, what training style you follow, how much you challenge yourself and what resources you have available (such as time and equipment). All bodies and journeys are unique!
Because of these variables, this timeline is a general guide, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to tracking your progress. Stay committed and consistent – that’s where the magic happens.
1-4 Weeks:
When you start exercising, the changes you’re likely to notice first are often related to your mood, energy, sleep and confidence.
During a workout or just after, it’s common to feel an uplift in your mood from the rush of endorphins and feel-good chemicals, and this energy can have a positive impact on how you feel for the rest of the day. Challenging your body and mind in a great Studio Fitness session can also leave you feeling more empowered, confident, accomplished and less stressed.
It’s not just structured workouts or a training programme that will have you quickly noticing the rewards of physical activity. Just 30 minutes of walking each day can do wonders for your fitness, strength and energy levels.
Are you in need of a better night’s sleep? Experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine say that 30 minutes of exercise each day can help you fall asleep more quickly and improve your sleep quality — and it doesn’t take long to notice the change.
5-12 Weeks:
Once you’ve been exercising consistently for a few weeks, you’ll likely notice that your cardiovascular fitness and VO2 max has improved, meaning you feel less out of breath during movement. That Studio Fitness session that may have felt tough in week one now feels much easier!
If you want to see faster improvements in your cardio fitness, exercising regularly and increasing the intensity is key. A 2007 study on the effects of different doses of physical activity on the cardio fitness of sedentary or overweight women found a strong relationship between the amount of exercise and changes in fitness, meaning the more you move, the better!
Challenging yourself with training styles such as high-intensity interval training can also have a positive effect. A 2020 study on the effects of high vs moderate-intensity interval training on resting heart rate, blood pressure and performance in older women found that HIIT promoted greater benefits for performance, function and body composition than moderate-intensity workouts.
Around this time, you may also start to notice improvements in your fitness abilities. This could be improvements in your muscular endurance, meaning it takes a longer period of time before your muscles feel tired, or increased muscular strength, meaning you can lift heavier weights.
After weeks of practice, you might begin to see improvements in your mobility coordination and ability to perform exercises with good form, or that your recovery time and muscle soreness between workouts has reduced.
3 Months + :
At this point, you’re hopefully in a great routine and exercise has become (or is starting to become) a natural habit and part of your lifestyle you look forward to. For some people, daily exercise doesn’t come so naturally so don’t feel disheartened if showing up for your workouts still requires a lot of discipline after a few months.
Beyond the three-month mark, you’re likely to feel much more confident with your workouts and your muscle and strength gains will continue to improve from here on out!
This is also generally when you’ll start to notice any changes in your body composition if you’ve been doing regular cardio and strength training, along with adopting healthy eating habits. If building muscle or losing fat is a goal for you (and it isn’t for everyone), remember that it’s going to take time to see changes if you are approaching it in a healthy, sustainable way.
If you’re not seeing as much progress with your strength gains, make sure you’re completing regular resistance training and challenging yourself enough – that’s what forces your muscles to adapt and grow. Progressive overload is a great way to do this, where you gradually dial up the volume, intensity, density and frequency of your workouts.
For muscle gains, nutrition is equally important, so make sure you’re eating enough protein every day, alongside plenty of other nourishing foods for energy and nutrients.
