Reasoning First
Do too little? You won’t make much progress.
Do too much? You won’t sustain progress.
Now we’ve been told a story about all this. Often it’s a Gatorade commercial. Squeeze every drop out of yourself that you can! Hard work, grit, determination, sacrifice. But if you give it everything you’ve got, you can get in shape.
Fortunately, there’s a better way:
Juuuuuust enough to make some progress. You don’t have to be a hero, an Olympian, or a fitness model. You can just be you, but with a little more oomph.
I know what you’re thinking.
I am gonna give you specifics on how to do this, and you’re probably gonna say:
- “That can’t be enough”
- “I can do more!”
**START HERE**
The two most well-supported approaches to getting in shape? Strength & Endurance. Pick the one that will fit more easily in your life right now.
Start building strength
Every week, do a handful of sets of exercises for your whole body
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2 sets, 2-3x / week (4-6 total)
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Pick 1 Lower Body: Squat variation or Single Leg Hip Thrust
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Pick 1 Upper Body: Pushup, Lateral Raise, OA Row, or Bicep Curl
Start building endurance
Every week, take several 15-minute brisk walks
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15:00, 4-6x/week (60-90 total)
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Brisk = your friend on the phone knows you’re active, but you could keep going for another 15 minutes if you wanted to
Habit Tips
The #1 reason you might fail is simply forgetting. When you’re trying to do something new, you might just not think of it.
So give your future self the gift of taking that seriously. Here are three strategies to consider:
- Anchor your new habit to something else you already do consistently. It could go after brushing your teeth, before making dinner, right after work, while the laundry’s in, etc.
- Plan to do it with a friend. That’s two possible people to remember and feel energized enough to get the ball rolling.
- Set an alarm or calendar notification. Look ahead, find a good time, and protect it. The thing only takes 15 minutes, but it’s easy to brush off.
Hire a Coach If…
1) You can’t seem to do the thing consistently.
2) You’re seeing results, but looking to level up.
Feature Image by Mac231 via Pixabay.