Exercise Efficiently

May 14, 2018

Modern humans have been around for over 200,000 years and, until the last 40-50 years, we were moving around for most of our waking hours. We didn't think of it as exercise - it was just what we did. Think about all of the animals in your yard -- they move around for most of the day. We're animals too -- we should be doing the same.

But it can be hard to squeeze in time for exercise. How can you get enough movement in if you have a sedentary job and don't have enough time to get to the gym (like most of us)? How can you maximize your results while minimizing the time spent? Ask Mark Sisson who, at age 64, is in much better shape than any of us. His advice is simple:

- Move frequently at a slow pace. If you have no time to take an hour walk each day, I get that. Try just standing up at your desk for a few minutes each day, working up to standing up for a majority of the day ("only sit to eat" is another way to think about it).

- Lift heavy things a couple of times a week. We are all, ourselves, "heavy things" -- so body-weight exercises like push-ups, squats and planks count for this. Even 10 minutes a day can transform your body over time. Can't do a push-up or aren't sure how to do them correctly? Click here to learn the proper form for these basic body-weight exercises and how to build up to doing them if you can't even do one right now (which is fine, by the way!):

- Sprint 1x/week. Run as fast as you can -- and if "as fast as you can" is a slow jog, that's all good -- for 30 seconds (this will seem like an eternity), then walk for 90 seconds. Repeat 4-8x. This is another great thing to do if you only have 10 minutes -- and only needs to be done once every week or two to reap the benefits.

That's it.

No hour-long runs, no schleps to the gym. You don't even have to change your clothes for most of these. These exercises are simple, quick and easy to squeeze in to a packed day. Do 10 push-ups before bed one night. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park your car in the furthest spot from the door. These all count -- and they're all free!

Add something small in to your week this week -- as always, I'd love to hear how it goes!