Can You Spare 10 Minutes?
Rethink your exercise goals
Exercise. We all know the many benefits it brings and how it makes us so much more productive and happy, but that doesn’t make it any easier to incorporate into our daily lives. Especially now.
I believe that comes down to how people approach exercise. Most people feel that it requires too much time and effort but there is growing evidence that short bouts of exercise in ten minute chunks can be as beneficial as long hours of sweat. That’s good news.
In our house, exercise has been a constant our whole lives. We have always incorporated daily exercise into our lives and it’s a non-starter. As I have said many times before, I have daily goals and exercise is at the top of the list.
I’m not going to sit here and say it’s easy. This is a mindset I’ve had since high school. I’ve also got the benefit of having access to a great gym just a few feet away from my house. Most people don’t have that luxury.
Rather than seeing daily exercise as a massive challenge, we can break in down into small achievable chunks. Daily exercise won’t seem as daunting and you can reap all the benefits!
Short Bouts of Exercise Work
There is plenty of evidence that short bouts of exercise can get you fit. You do not have to train for a marathon or do hours of HIIT workouts.
Experts say 10 minute of moderate exercise can reap benefits. A 2013 study, Cardinal and colleagues analyzed information from more than 6,000 U.S. adults who wore accelerometers for at least four days. Results showed that people who exercised in bouts of 10 minutes or less, but who accumulated enough activity to add up to 30 minutes a day, fared just as well in terms of health as people who exercised for longer periods.
There are plenty of ways to get those 10 minute chunks in.
Set a timer during the day, or get one in before breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can choose one of the many 10 minute workouts you can find here. This will negate the dangers of sitting for too long and could replace that extra cup of coffee.
It Doesn’t Matter Your Age
You think it’s too late? You are too old to get started? You are wrong. Even if you can’t quite turn back the clock, you can actually slow down aging considerably and maintain a high level of performance deep into your later years.
As we age, exercise behavior (nurture) appears to play a significant role in how our given genetic biology (nature) plays out,” Joe Friel.
Here’s a great video to watch called The 10 commandments of lifelong fitness Ned Overend, aka “The Lung,” aka “Deadly Nedly,” who won his first National Fatbike Championships, held in Ogden, Utah at the age of 59.
Go Take A Walk
Walking is something we all have time for in our daily lives. Whether incorporating breaks in your work day and getting up from your desk, or setting time for a walking lunch, you can reap plenty of the same benefits that you get from other exercises.
“Walking can be as good as a workout, if not better, than running,” says Dr. Matt Tanneberg, CSCS, a sports Chiropractor and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in Phoenix, Arizona who works with elite athletes.
In a recent National Runners’ Health Study with the National Walkers’ Health Study, researchers found that the energy used for moderate-intensity walking and vigorous-intensity running resulted in similar reductions in risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease over the study’s six year period.
Take the dog with you. They’ll appreciate it.
Get Creative
Finally, a great way to get exercise in is to just be creative! Here are some ideas.
First thing in the morning do 10 pushups
Park as far away as you can from the store
Take the stairs
Swap out a stability ball for your chair
Take a look here for 25 creative ideas to get exercise in.
Exercise does not have to be a chore or give you the feeling that you need to do huge amounts for gain. Small chunks, small daily goals can be built on and reap benefits.
We all have 10 minutes throughout the day to spare. Put those 10 minute chunks to good use and add some years on the backend. Doesn’t that sound like a good investment to you?
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