Maybe you want to exercise, but you are unmotivated or don’t know where to start. Here’s a simple challenge: begin with five minutes every day. Nearly everyone can squeeze in five minutes of exercise before work, during lunch, or after work. After all, it’s only 300 seconds.
Maybe you march in place for one minute, do bicycle sit ups for the second minute, boxing moves for the third, and so on. Maybe you walk down the road and back. Maybe yoga is your thing. If you listen to a favorite song or two while you are toning up, those five minutes will go by rather quickly.
Let’s say you start those five minutes on a Monday, and you continue those five minutes for a week. Those daily increments of 300 seconds add up to 35 minutes a week—a worthy amount of physical activity. The trick is to find a routine that you like (you may not want to include a difficult exercise such as a one-minute plank, for example).
Research shows it can take a while for new habits to form, so give yourself some grace. Still need help? One study shows that creating rewards for yourself can help when it comes sticking to a plan (mani pedi, anyone?) You could also challenge a spouse or a friend to do a five-minute exercise challenge. This will hold you accountable.
There is a good chance that five minutes will eventually turn into 10 or 15 minutes. Why? Because you will start to feel stronger, more confident, and you’ll want to do more. You’ll realize that you can make time for more than five minutes. That’s when change occurs.
Five minutes of fitness will change your life because it will mentally and physically make you feel better. Put yourself in the driver’s seat when it comes to your health, and your mind and body will benefit.