Daily Fitness: How Exercising for 10 Minutes Everyday for One Month Made All the Difference In My Life
Confession time: I signed up for a year’s gym membership, but ended up going only once a month. Apparently, me and daily fitness do not mesh.
Now, it’s not that I don’t enjoy working out. The issue is my knack for conjuring excuses: it’s always too early or too late, or I either need to work or rest. Excuses, excuses! When it comes to resolutions, it seems like there will always be some celestial barrier between my dream body and me.
Am I the only one experiencing this? Can anybody else relate?
But something had to change. My body craved the post-workout adrenaline rush and glow. Desperate, I embarked on a 10-minute daily fitness challenge, hoping to push myself out of my comfort zone.
Fast forward one month, and my world had shifted. My daily routine was refreshed, my energy levels boosted, and confidence soaring. This is what happens when you commit to even the smallest of challenges.
Week 1: Setting Up The Routine
Pexels – Burst
I knew my needs were extremely basic: I wasn’t interested in a weight-loss program nor in toning a particular body part, all I wanted was to build a consistent habit.
How? Science had the answer. According to the book “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, to build a habit you need to ensure the following:
- A trigger, to initiate the behavior,
- The routine, refers to the action,
- A reward, because we all like celebrating our achievements, right?
After considering this information, I solidified my daily fitness plan with a drum roll, please! Instead of overwhelming myself with a daunting 20 minutes, I decided to begin with an attainable 10 minutes of uninterrupted exercise. To ensure accountability for my commitment, I placed a jump rope and a pair of sneakers within reach of my bed. As for keeping the routine fresh, I introduced a new set of exercises every day to avoid monotony.
To be honest, the first week was unexpectedly challenging. Despite sticking to basic exercises like stretches, jump rope, squats, standing knee raises, pushups, and crunches, I found myself out of breath too soon. Nonetheless, this new workout routine didn’t compromise my living room – the confined space proved to be more than sufficient.
But even with the unforeseen struggle, an unwavering determination to transform my life still fueled me. Did my muscles hurt? Not really. Was the happiness derived from finally acting on a long-neglected goal a soaring high? You bet it was.
Week 2: The Reward of The Results
Pexels – Burst
Already on the second week, I’m nailing this daily fitness routine like a pro! It doesn’t matter where or when; my only focus is to finish this workout successfully.
To kick start my motivation, I always begin with my favorite exercise: jump roping. They’re not long or hard enough to make my muscles sore, but the first thing I noticed was how much more water I began to drink. I made sure to have a bottle of water near me all the time, and within two weeks, I was feeling fully hydrated.
The best part? I felt freaking awesome! Maybe it’s the endorphins talking, but completing my daily fitness goal felt so rewarding. It helped that I had the chance to sneak in those exercises during my afternoon break. It boosted my mood, reduced my stress levels, and made it easier to breathe freely.
In the second week, I almost missed a workout due to a hectic day, so I installed a habit building app on my mobile phone. Seeing my calendar fill up with the achieved daily fitness goals became a reward in itself, making it easier for me to stay on track. And trust me, it’s worth it!
Also Read: Best Workout Clothes for Optimal Comfort and Style
Week 3: Challenging The Resolution
Pexels – Gratisography
During the third week of my workout challenge, an unforeseen obstacle presented itself. One missed workout day easily turned to three and I found myself in a funk of disappointment and lack of motivation. I knew that I needed a solution.
Getting back on track proved more difficult than starting the challenge in the first place. It was then that I realized I needed an accountability buddy. This person would champion and motivate me to stay on course – someone to whom I’d be too embarrassed to admit my own laziness.
This relationship would be grounded in trust and shared accountability. Thanks to the accountability buddy system, I could make steady progress without the fear of losing momentum. It was a turning point for me – a reminder that sometimes all we need is an extra push to keep us on track.
Week 4: ~The Power Of Friendship~
Pexels – Bruce Mars
After one hour of messaging a bunch of my fitness-inclined friends on Facebook, I was lucky enough to have one of my friends agree on becoming my accountability buddy. While her post-work out selfies were leaving me disgruntled in the past, now I looked forward to taking my own!
Once I had someone checking up on me every single day, I started taking my challenge more seriously. I decided to do my workout in the morning, and it was honestly one of the best decisions I ever made.
My mornings became 10 times better: my head was cleared up and felt more focused, my appetite grew bigger and thus my breakfasts were more consistent and frequent. Even if it was only 10 minutes per day, my sinuses also felt a noticeable difference. It seems like exercising helps decreasing allergy symptoms, and in this spring season, it is oh-so needed!
Little by little, I was getting hooked, and I absolutely loved it!
It turns out, doing a couple of squats doesn’t require a fully equipped gym and that I don’t absolutely need a personal trainer to show me what to do. In fact, a new study suggests that we might even get all the exercise we need in just 20 minutes. Alright then, maybe it’s time I pick up a new challenge?
This past month daily fitness goal made me reconsider how I approached exercising, and challenged my perception of it completely: rather than a daunting experience designed to torture us in a room packed with strangers, exercising consists of a few movements we can do (almost) anywhere at (almost) anytime to stay in shape. It’s all about the habit we build and the consistency of our actions!
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Are you in a love-and-hate relationship with exercising as well? What is your favorite workout to stay in shape? Let us know in the comments and share this article to encourage your friends to start working out!
