How to Work Fitness Into Your Busy Life 1 Minute at a Time
This is the Thousand Cuts Fitness Program from Zen Habits that is geared for very busy people who think they don’t have time. Well … now you do. This is a DIY program (i.e. FREE!) that makes exercise something that you squeeze in minute by minute until it becomes part of your life. I know that we are all so busy in Newton that it can seem daunting to squeeze in one more thing, especially for yourself. Another determent may be cost. And not everyone is comfortable in a gym setting. This is simple, easy, and free! You can DIY and do it at home. It’s for yourself so you can keep those New Year’s Resolutions or make a new one right now! Go ahead, you can do it!!
Here’s how it works:
1. Right now, do something that only takes 1 minute. It might be a few pushups, bodyweight squats, an attempt at a pullup, a few lunges. You have time to do 1 minute.
2. In an hour or so, go for a walk if you can. If you’re in decent shape, make it a fast walk. Add some hills for challenges. If you’re not in good shape, just walk. Later, add some spurts of fast walking.
3. Later in the day, do a few more 1 minute activities.
4. Gradually build the 1 minute activities into 2 or 3 minutes. Then 4 or 5 of them. Add more of them throughout your day.
5. As much as you can, turn the activities into play. Throw your kids around. Run through a park and climb trees and benches. Race people. Play a sport.
6. Get a pullup bar for your home. Every time you walk by it, try to pull yourself up. If you can do pullups, do a few, or 10, every time you pass the bar.
7. Get a kettlebell. Swing it a few times a day.
8. Run places. Walk places quickly.
Always be active. It’s not hard, if you do it in tiny bits. You can’t say no to 1 minute, or even just a few seconds. And if you do a thousand of them, you’ll be fit.
Fitness is a part of my life now, but it wasn’t when I started. I did it in little bits, without designating a certain time as “workout time”. My whole life is workout time.
