Finding Time for Your workout

Hey there, hustlers! If you find yourself buried under a mountain of work, pulling long hours day in and day out, or running the kids around here and there, the idea of adding a workout to your routine might sound like a joke. But what if I told you that with just 10 to 15 minutes a day, you could transform your health and boost your productivity? Enter the world where small changes can lead to big results.

In his book "Tiny Habits," Stanford professor BJ Fogg introduces the concept that tiny changes can lead to remarkable results. This philosophy is a game-changer for busy individuals like you. The key is to start with a habit so tiny it seems almost ridiculous. Commit to doing just one push-up or one squat every day. It sounds too easy, right? That's the point. The aim is to make the habit so simple that you can't say no.

Attach, or stack, your workout onto an existing habit. If you're already brewing a pot of coffee in the morning, do your push-up while waiting for it to percolate. If you watch the evening news when you arrive home, knock out that workout while listening to the news. By associating your new habit with an established routine, you're more likely to stick with it; and, you essentially don’t have to carve out any new time during your day because you are doing your workout while doing something that you were already doing anyway.

Try using a statement similar to something like,  "After I ... I will...". Here are a few examples: "After I turn on the news, I will do 10 pushups"; "After I open Facebook/ Instagram, I will do 10 squats"; and one that I use personally, "After I get home, I will change into workout clothes." Once I've put on the clothes I'm going to workout, regardless of how I may feel.

Lay out your workout gear the night before, or in the morning before heading to work. Make it so obvious that you can't ignore it. The sight of your exercise gear should trigger the thought, "Hey, I should get a quick workout in."

In the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, it's easy to neglect our health. However, by embracing the principles of developing these small habits, we can weave a 15-minute workout seamlessly into our daily routine. Remember, it's not about the duration; it's about consistency. So, go ahead, start small, stack your habits, and watch those atomic changes add up to a healthier, more energized you. Your body will thank you, and so will your productivity!

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Fogg, B. J. (2019). Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
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Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin Random House.