How I Exercise Every Day
#fitness 2 min.
TL; DR: Make exercising easy, then do it.
Why? I do it because it feels good. It triggers the right hormones, reduces random muscle pains from the sedentary lifestyle, and helps maintain whatever physical fitness I have.
Exercising every day isn’t hardcore, it’s actually the opposite. It has to be easy and convenient. It will not stick if you dread it.
I still try to get 3 proper workouts every week. In a good week I swim for 45 minutes, run 5 to 10k, and do calisthenics for an hour. But this post isn’t about those days.
On the remaining days, I exercise only for ~10 minutes.
To get the most out of that precious time, I focus on increasing heart rate as fast as possible. That means compound movements. Think squats, push-ups, etc. I pick a few exercises I can do well and with little warm-up, then cycle through them until I’m about to break a sweat.
You don’t need equipment for this, but it sure helps. A dumbbell or a pull-up bar would give you more options. Kettlebell is my favorite. It also serves as a convenient reminder next to your workspace.
Doing the same exercises every day could lead to repetitive strain injuries, so mix it up. Play around, keep it light and fun.
I enjoy exercising before the lunch. Since it doesn’t take long, and you don’t really burn many calories, hunger isn’t a problem. Also makes it easier to form a habit.
Keep in mind you don’t need to do this. You can achieve almost any fitness goal with 3 workouts per week. Actual progress happens in the kitchen anyway :)