Last updated: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 | 6 Views
“Exercise: you don’t have time not to!”
For thousands of years, physical activity has been associated with health. Today, science has confirmed the link, with overwhelming evidence that people who lead active lifestyles are less likely to die early, or to experience major illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer.
Want to feel better, have more energy and live longer? Look no further than regular, old-fashioned, sweat-inducing exercise.
By introducing a moderate amount of exercise into your daily life, you can significantly improve your overall health, well-being and quality of life. And the health benefits of exercise can be achieved by virtually everyone, regardless of age, sex, race or physical ability.
As for the all-too-common “I don’t have time to exercise,” somehow, you’ve got to make the time, or you’re going to have medical problems. And it will take a lot more time to deal with them than it takes to exercise.
And remember this number: 1.4%. That’s the percentage of your week that five 30-minute exercise sessions requires, enough for a health-boosting dose of exercise Monday through Friday. Sound doable? It is.
So, you need some help in making that time for exercise? Here are three strategies used by dozens of successful, time-crunched men who are dedicated exercisers:
1. Wake up early.
Joe Hogan, CEO of GE Healthcare has been waking up at 5 a.m. for 30 minutes of exercise, 4 days a week, for 20 years. Here is what he says: “Once you form the habit, it just becomes ingrained in your lifestyle.”
A 2005 study published in Health Psychology reports that it took new exercisers about 5 weeks to make their sessions a habit. And hitting the road at down doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on sleep. Researchers at Northwestern University found that men who started exercising in the morning slept better than they had before they began working out.
2. Prioritize your life.
Calculate the average time you spend daily doing everything from analyzing spreadsheets to watching TV. And always give priority to activities that serve the greatest purpose - those involving work, family, and exercise. For example, a 30 minute run trumps a 30-minute sitcom - every time. It’s that simple!
Joe Blesse, a pilot from Continental Express who lost 150 pounds after initiating a cardio program two years ago, says: “Once I counted up the wasted hours, it was easy to see that I could fit exercise in by deciding what’s most important.”
3. Call it multitasking.
Exercise isn’t work time lost; it’s an opportunity to focus on problems without distraction. David Varwig, CEO of Citadel Group, a global investment firm, says: “I work on my most challenging business issues while running, cycling, or skiing.”
At home, exercising with your spouse or kids is quality time also. “Whether it’s a hike with my wife or hitting the streets with the baby jogger, I make exercise a family event whenever possible.” says David Daggett, an Ironman triathlete and a managing partner at Lewis and Daggett, a North Carolina law firm.
Getting Americans off the couch and onto their feet could save an estimated 200,000 lives a year, says the surgeon general. Yet most of us are either sedentary or only minimally active. Confusion may keep many couch potatoes from getting into shape. But it’s never too late. No matter what your physical condition, you can fit exercise into your lifestyle.
Schedule your exercise and track your progress, and you’ll soon be rewarded with better health, more energy, and a sense of well-being that will keep you motivated for years to come.
So, start exercising and save a life, your life!
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ways to lose weight
1.4%? You have got to be kidding!
Let’s see: 8 hours sleep (56h/week), 8 hours work + 2 hours commute (50h/week), eating/hygiene/misc stuff around the home 5 hours (35h/week) = 141 hours. This leaves 27 hours, and 2.5 of 27 is 9.3%. This is assuming you work full time, prepare food with a minimum of effort, and don’t have friends or family or hobbies or go to church or …
So a lot closer to 10% than 1%
Obviously excercise is still worth doing, but the arithmetic is way off.
“And remember this number: 1.4%. That’s the percentage of your week that five 30-minute exercise sessions requires, enough for a health-boosting dose of exercise Monday through Friday.”
1.4% of your week, not your free time.
[...] Ririan presents 3 Ways To Make Time For Exercise posted at Ririan Project. [...]
Great post! I particulalry agree with the point about getting up early to train. Even though it is psychologically the hardest thing to do, studies have shown that the human body is most READY for exercise in the morning, as opposed to 5-7pm (when most people work out after work). In the morning, the body is more likely to burn fat, and you can start the day feeling like you did something meaningful.
I ended up here while searching the net Why? Beats me ask the search engine but anyhow it was a nice surprise I enjoyed discovering your blog, thx for the nice read!
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