When it comes to fitness, every little bit helps
Posted on | May 1, 2011 | No Comments
As a martial arts instructor and fitness consultant, I often hear people tell me that they would like to exercise but they just don’t have the time or the money for a gym membership. This statement always fascinates me. I don’t know if people really believe that or if it’s just an easy excuse for them. Many people today share the mindset that in order to get into shape, they have to join a gym and exercise at least three or four days a week for an hour to get results. They justify that someday they will have that kind of time, but not now. So they put off exercise for another day or another time in their life when their schedule clears up. Although it might be ideal to work out at the gym every day for an hour, it isn’t necessary. You can do a lot in a short period of time.
As of this writing, my father is a few months away from his 90th birthday. As one of the last remaining World War II veterans in our area, he is often asked to represent his comrades and his generation at various public events. The remarkable thing is that not only is he still mentally sharp but he can still fit into his uniform 65 years later. Of course this is due in part to good genes, as both of his parents lived into their 90s as well. But that certainly doesn’t account for all of it. He has been mindful of his health his whole adult life. My earliest memory of my father is from when I was probably about three years old, getting out of bed in the morning and walking into the living room, still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, and seeing him doing push-ups. You see, somewhere in the 1950s he started the habit of daily exercise. His routine is very short – it takes him about eight minutes to get through the whole thing – but he rarely misses a day.
One time I asked Dad if he felt that this short workout was even worth doing. After all, in eight minutes you hardly get warmed up, right? He responded by saying something that I never forgot. In fact, I used this line nearly every day. ”Son,” he said, “a little of something is better than a lot of nothing.” It made instant sense to me and I’ve applied this concept to many areas of my life since then. As I was growing up, he taught me to look for ways to sneak in extra exercise. It was little things like running stairs two at a time whenever you’re going to the second floor, or doing a quick set of 10 push-ups or air squats randomly throughout the day just because, or – one of my favorites – balancing on one foot whenever you’re stuck waiting in line.
It’s amazing how much you can get done when you are mindfully trying to get a little extra exercise in every day. Ideally, this should not replace your workout, it should be in addition to it. Here are a few examples:
Take the stairs not the escalator or elevator
If feasible, walk to the park or the store instead of drive
One day do 10 push-ups and 10 air squats every hour, the next day do general household chores with an exercise mindset
When watching TV, do calisthenics during the commercials of a one-hour show
I challenge you to come up with your own list. There is no downside and lots of upside. Who knows? With a little luck, maybe we will still fit into the clothes of our youth when we’re in our 90s.
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About Dave Kovar
Mr. Kovar has been teaching Martial Arts professionally since 1978. Dave is a multi-style Black Belt who has been committed to ever-improving his Martial Arts skills. He updates this blog to provide tips and insights to martial arts instructors around the country. To learn more, click here.
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