Find Time To Exercise
The time is available, you just need to discover it.
There are many challenges that come with trying to get fit or, even better, with getting fit as a fighter.
One of the most common is the struggle of finding the time. Our lives are busy and exercise makes you tired. Who has time for that?
First, while it is true that when you first start adding exercise into your routine it can and is draining. It is also very true that more energy follows if you can be consistent with it, but this isn't why you started reading this article.
You can Find Time To Exercise by doing 4 simple things.
- Starting Small
- Being Consistent
- Accidental Exercise
- and Exceeding Expectations
Start Small
I know that when I start a workout I find myself wondering if anything less than a half hour will be worth it, but that half hour is so hard to fit into my day.
That's when I remind myself that even 5 minutes is better than nothing.
You are right though, 5 minutes will not get me to my goals. But, it will start me down the path. The purpose of those short 5 minutes isn't to get me to my goals directly.
By starting small, I make it a lot easier for me to start my workout. I have five minutes and I'm sure you do too. By committing to this tiny amount I take the hardest part of my workout, getting started, and make it a little easier and I'm sure you are already aware that if I don't start I get nothing.
Some is always better than none. When it comes to finding time and motivation it is usually best to start small.
The video An Inch Is A Cinch might help if you find yourself needing a bit more convincing.
Be Consistent
One workout will change very little, except for making you a little sore the next day.
Real progress comes from doing workouts consistently.
There are many benefits that can come from a single workout, so they are always worth doing. Exercise can act as coffee, waking you up and giving you energy. It can change your mood, making you happier and more fun to be around. That one workout can even boost brain function making you more focused.
Wendy Suzuki talks about these in her TED talk https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise/transcript
The most amazing thing about this isn't that a single workout can cause these changes but consistent exercise can amplify these benefits. Magnifying them!
Being Consistent may not be easy, but it is worth it.
Accidental Exercise
Accidental Exercise isn't an accident but is often a part of your normal day.
We can change small parts of how we do our every day activities to force us to use a little more energy.
When we do this, our objective isn't to make ourselves so tired we can't function. The goal is just to take something like sitting that requires almost no energy and add a challenge to it. Forcing our body to burn a few more calories.
You can get a standing desk, sit on a ball instead of a chair, park a little farther from the door, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or any number of other things.
A great example of this is what I just did, almost by instinct, as I wrote this section. I went from sitting in my chair to standing at my desk. I can feel my leg muscles firing as I sway, lean, and balance. My core is doing just a little more work to keep me upright. I am not tiring myself out but I am using more energy.
These things may not use a great deal more energy, but they do certainly use more.
If you are questioning if you can start squeezing in some accidental exercise it will be worth it to read the Talk To Yourself article as well.
Exceed Expectations
This is the section where it all comes together.
Starting Small is how we get ourselves moving and stop ourselves from feeling overwhelmed but Exceeding Expectations is how we reach our goals.
After your 5 minute workout, you will feel one of a couple different ways.
You could feel rundown and tired. In this case, mission success! You got your workout done. Put a check in the box and collapse in front of the computer or T.V....and maybe don't push quite so hard right out the gate next time.
It is possible you feel energized but either don't have time to keep moving or just plain don't want to. In this scenario you can put another check in the box and move on, maybe this time you will find yourself out with friends after your workout instead of sitting on the couch....maybe.
Sometimes, more and more if you are consistent, you will find that you don't want to stop after 5 minutes. When this happens you make time to get in another round. You will be disappointed that the plans you made with your friends didn't leave more time to exercise. These are the times that you need to let yourself Exceed Expectations.
Start Small to get started and Exceed Expectations to see results.
Conclusion
You can Find Time To Exercise by
- Starting Small - Starting is often the hard part so don't commit to too much so it is easer to get yourself moving.
- Be Consistent - 3 times a week isn't that much, especially when you are only committing to 5 minutes.
- work in Accidental Exercise - You will be amazed at the differences you notice when you start upping the amount of energy everyday activities require.
- Exceed Expectations - This when you reach your goals. No need to overwhelm, just do more when you have the energy and time.
Finding time to exercise is certainly difficult, but the time is there. It is available. We just need to prove it to ourselves and some of us may need to be reminded that Your Training Isn't Selfish.