“That’s not worth doing” [Isn’t it?] | RISE Macclesfield | Group Personal Training gym weight loss programmes

I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that, across the 10,080 minutes in a week we probably always have time for 10 minutes of exercise.

I know what most people’s reactions will be to that.

Because it was my reaction for a long time.

“That’s not worth doing”.

Or “there’s no point in that”.

In my head exercise was something you did three times a week or more.

At a gym, in my case.

And it took an hour.

Or more.

And whilst that is a perfectly valid approach……….

It can feel too much sometimes, can’t it?

And, when we don’t feel we can do that that week, it’s tempting to “leave it”.

To “start again next week”.

Or to plan to do five next week to make up for it.

I came to the realisation eventually that, all else being equal, any exercise is better than no exercise.

Both for the actual physical benefit of that exercise.

But, more importantly, for the change in the conversation in our own heads that regular exercise creates.

It goes from ‘stopping’ and ‘starting again’ to “slowing down and speeding up as circumstance dictates”.

We’re way more likely to do three longer workouts next week if we do one or two shorter ones this week.

And that benefit of the shorter workout is more than I used to think and you’re probably thinking now.

Exercise is diminishing returns.

That first bit does the most.

Take two otherwise identical people.

Person B has done 10 minutes of body weight exercise once per week for the last decade.

Person A has done zero exercise for 10 years.

Will (all else being equal) there be no difference in their health, fitness and energy levels?

I wouldn’t have thought so.

They’d be a significant difference.

More difference between Person A and Person B than there would be between person Person B and Person C who had done a 20 minute workout, or two 10 minute ones.

And so on.

Still worth doing more.

But diminishing returns.

That first bit of exercise will do the most, change that conversation in our heads and make it more likely that you’ll do more next week.

Worth remembering next time we tell ourselves “it’s not worth doing”.

Much love,

Jon ‘Used to have a pair of Worthington’s boxer shorts I won by necking some beer’ Hall

P.S. If you’ve been telling yourself that you haven’t got time to make these changes, but are now ready to make the changes you do have time for, then you can arrange a chat via www.myrise.co.uk/apply or just get cracking at www.myrise.co.uk/join.

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RISE in Macclesfield was established in 2012 and specialise in Group Personal Training weight loss programmes for those that don’t like the gym and find diets boring and restrictive!