While some people seem to find it easy to fit exercise into their life, others find it very hard to find the time.
There are lots of ways to look at this, but for today, let’s look at the idea of exercise featuring on a scale.
Think of doing zero exercise as a 0, and doing regular intense workouts aiming towards some sort of competitive event as a 10.
You don’t have to go in at a 10!
Doing ANY kind of movement is positive – and you probably never NEED to reach a 10 on this scale.
Before we get to the scale, I’d just like to add a couple of extra thoughts here as well.
It’s ok to remember that while we know that exercise really is very good for us, it is also YOUR life and if exercise just isn’t for you, it isn’t something you should feel guilty about. Disliking whatever you see as ‘proper exercise’ isn’t some kind of failure – but, I’d suggest looking at this scale and seeing if there is some movement that you would consider bringing in regularly.
It’s also worth noting that while I bang on about the usefulness of resistance training, it is not the only kind of exercise available… Yes, I think that resistance training is superior, but again, exercise in general is very good for us and if there’s just no way you’re going to do any kind of resistance work regularly, but you’d happily create a long term routine of, say, jogging – then do that. The best workout is the one you’ll do!
Back to the scale.
I’m giving you examples of what might be at each stage on this exercise scale, but do feel free to adapt it to something that might fit better for you.
0 – absolutely zero movement. I just sit on the couch all day long.
1 – I change my mindset to include my general activity as exercise. Just this shift improves the benefits of this type of movement!
2 – I bring a little extra movement into things I already do. For example, choosing inconvenient car parking spaces, buying coffee from the further coffee shop, getting up and moving when I’m on the phone. These few minutes really add up across the day!
3 – I get out of breath a few times a week. I take the stairs instead of the lift, and do some house cleaning or gardening a few times a week
4 – I do a short, gentle bit of movement a few times a week
5 – I do a short, gentle structured workout first thing most mornings
6 – I do a slightly longer moderately challenging workout about three times a week
7 – I do this workout and also include a walk most days
8 – I do a more challenging workout about four days a week
9 – I do this workout and include a decent walk each day
10 – I train like an athlete, my main focus is my training.
I’m keen to know where you feel you are on this scale, and if you’re not happy with where you feel you are right now, what might it look like if you turn the dial to the next level?