In the modern world, there can be a lot of obstacles between you and exercise. But no matter what, you shouldn’t let your lifestyle compromise your health. After all, the reason for being busy is to improve your life, not to let it consume you. No amount of money will buy you good health, only medicine, and a doctor’s visit. No amount of working hours will make up for a lack of physical activity. Thus it’s crucial that you take care of yourself, and as a consequence of that, you will lead a happier and more productive life.
Set Your Priorities Straight
Many say that they simply don’t have enough time. The absolute truth is that everyone has time for what they prioritize. How many hours a day or a week do you work? Even if you spend 10, 12, or 14 hours a day working, you can still find time to exercise. And that’s an absurd amount of time for the overwhelming majority of people, even the high-performing minority of us that are obsessed with work.
There are 24 hours in a day, and the average adult only needs about 7 hours of sleep. That leaves you with 17 hours of being awake. Are you spending all of that time on things that are truly important to you? If you can find time for watching TV, social media, and mindlessly staring at the fridge at midnight, you can find plenty of time for exercising.
Even if you were theoretically living at the office, and spending all of your time in front of the computer, you could make room for physical activity. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just get up every hour or two and walk around for five minutes, thinking about what’s on your mind. Even doing some push-ups and squats every three hours will get you in better shape than if you would spend that time sitting.
Make It A Habit
Our habits define us. They are named so for a reason, these are actions that we habitually perform on a consistent basis. Almost everything you do is habits. When you wake up is a habit, when you go to work is a habit, what you eat is a habit, and whether you exercise or not is a habit as well.
A strategy that works for most people is to cut down on one activity and put that time towards exercise. The prime example of that is to cut thirty minutes to an hour in the evening, wake up earlier in the morning, and use that time to exercise. For instance, if you are used to going to bed at 11:00, and waking up at 7:00, you could go to bed at 10:00, wake up at 6:00, and spend thirty minutes to an hour of the time you gained towards exercise. It can be as simple as going for a walk, run, or doing a home exercise routine.
And while not everyone is a morning person, the strategy remains the same. You could also exchange one of your evening hours for exercise, and you will get the same positive results. One of the easiest and healthiest activities to get into is running. It has many health benefits, it’s a great exercise, and it’s essentially free and available to everyone on the planet. A friend of mine from Japan, who is also a busy man, has been habitually running every morning for many years. Recently, he finally decided to share his transformative experience of running at menznow.com in his article. And I guarantee you it will push you to adopt the very same habit.
A Little Goes A Long Way
The World Health Organization, one of the most credible in the medical world, recommends a doable amount of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week to achieve optimal health benefits. That can include anything from walking, cardio, or strength training, either in the gym or at home. But even if that mark seems far off from your current ability, know that every bit counts.
You will experience a lot of benefits even if you were to exercise five minutes a day if you were previously doing zero. Small incremental improvements, such as adding five minutes every week, will push you to that recommended amount in a blink of an eye. And most importantly, you will build a habit of exercising that will stick for a lifetime, instead of the New Year’s resolution that only works for a week. Here is what the Guardian has to say about making exercise a habit.
