When Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Airlines and a host of other companies, was asked what was the best way to become more productive, he thought about it briefly and replied, “Work out.” By moving your body you gain more energy, you’ll think more clearly and you’ll get more done. Simple enough, but why aren’t we moving?
If you answer that you don’t have enough time, then think about this — President Obama, who is unarguably the most important person in the country and one of the most important people on the planet, being the leader of the USA, somehow has time to get an hour-long workout in each day. Now that pretty much wipes out our excuses for not enough time. That being said, I have two small children and I know how much time kids consume so I’m all for time-efficient routines that leave you with the results you want in a minimum amount of time. So here are my favorite, quickie solutions for maximum results with minimum time invested (if you love spending hours at the gym lifting weights, these won’t appeal):
1) For building muscular strength: The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution, Your Body is Your Gym (Mark Laurens also has a superb app) or Power of 10 takes the prize at twenty minutes a week. Intense, but you’ll get results quickly. I doubled or tripled my weights in three months in a total workout time of 4 hours. No drugs, no diet, no powders or supplements required. For women over 45, this is just the ticket to prevent osteoporosis as weight-bearing activity becomes essential.
2) For building lung capacity: Try PACE. It is basically interval training for beginners and you’ll quickly increase your lung capacity. I just use the interval training, not the diet.
3) Get that weekly massage and you’ll ease the pain of both workouts and get results even faster.
4) Walk, bike and take the stairs whenever you can. Don’t assume that driving is a time-saver. You might be amazed that walking or biking is a more efficient solution. If I drive the kids to school it only saves me ten minutes. So why not walk and get the health benefits of walking whenever you can? Studies show that kids who walk or bike to school are more focused and attentive in class.
5) Sneak exercise in by signing up for fun activities you enjoy. Bike, dance, take yoga classes, garden. All these are some form of exercise.
Trouble getting started? Try one of these tips:
1) Book a block of sessions with a personal trainer to get you going. This may be just the jumpstart you need.
2) Or, take the plunge and join a walking group, running club or cycle club and you’ll find the support of the group keeps you motivated. Having even one friend to walk and talk with makes the time fly by.
3) Start ridiculously small and easy. Day 1: Just put on your exercise kit. Day 2: Walk five minutes. Day 3: Walk 10 minutes. The trick is to start with something that you know you can easily do and then you’ll create momentum and soon be on the way.
Ten Minute Option: Make a list of 5 to 10 ways you could start adding in exercise effortlessly. Ideally, pick something easy and fun that you could start with this week. You could take a 10-minute walk or take the stairs instead of the elevator every chance you can.
Reading Assignment: Tip 85: Get Off Your Butt, in Coach Yourself to Success
Enjoy!
Talane
