Exercising: How Doing Something is Better than Doing Nothing

I woke up late today.

I hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, had a long day at work, and then had to get ready to leave town for Christmas. So I slept in.

Thus, I felt rushed to squeeze in lifting, exercising, and a workout before I left. However, I told myself, “Something is better than nothing.” It made me think how doing just a little is better than doing nothing at all.

5 Quick Tips for Squeezing in a Workout When You “Don’t Have Time”

“I don’t have time to exercise,” is a common excuse amongst those who don’t exercise.

Let’s face it, we all lead busy lives. And we all can find 20 extra minutes to squeeze in a workout. If this has become your mantra, then here are tips to get in an extra workout:

• Get up earlier. Even if you get up just 20 minutes earlier, that 15 minutes you can squeeze in some kind of activity. Whether this is walking your dog, a quick 5×5 session at light weight, or a quick circuit of bodyweight movements, getting up sooner will give you the time to workout.
• Cut your TV time. All it takes is to watch one less episode of “Game of Thrones” or whatever you happen to be binge watching to do a quick run or bike.
• Cut your Internet/Social Media time. You’re not losing weight Instagraming your latest photos or liking blog posts. Twenty minutes of less Internet time is all it will take to get moving.
• Skip your after work happy hours. If your work happy hours are turning into an every day thing, then start skipping them and hit the gym instead. Plus, when you consume less calories, that’s less you’ll have to burn off later!
• Maximize your wait times. When you’re waiting for your kids’ soccer practice to get over or you are stuck in town for an hour, waiting for gymnastics to end, try hitting the gym during that time or walking around the field.

We all waste some time during the day — sometimes we can’t prevent it, but sometimes we can. Staying healthy doesn’t have to take long. It only takes minutes a day that add up to health and wellness. Ask yourself where are your wasted minutes during the day and how can you use those minutes more wisely?

After all, something is better than nothing.