{"id":12459,"date":"2022-02-14T10:54:45","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T14:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leehayward.com\/blog\/?p=12459"},"modified":"2024-09-03T20:35:20","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T00:35:20","slug":"no-time-to-exercise-start-with-10-minutes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leehayward.com\/blog\/no-time-to-exercise-start-with-10-minutes\/","title":{"rendered":"No Time to Exercise? Start with 10 minutes…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Question:<\/span><\/strong>
I have no time to exercise (12-hour days, 2-hour commute, four kids, home chores). I just don’t have time to go to the gym and I’m looking for suggestions?<\/strong>
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Answer:<\/span><\/strong>
I can totally relate to not having enough time to workout. I admit that just a few years ago I fell into the same trap myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I stopped competing in bodybuilding and became a father I never had the time – nor the motivation – to keep up with 2+ hour long workouts, 6 days per week, and it didn\u2019t take long for it to show\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One skipped workout turned into a week off from the gym\u2026 And I\u2019d keep telling myself:
\u201cIt\u2019s ok, I know what to do, and I\u2019ll get back on track on Monday\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for some reason \u2018Monday\u2019 kept getting pushed further and further back and I was always too busy, too tired, and kept procrastinating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re a parent you know what it\u2019s like waking up in the middle of the night to a crying baby and all the extra responsibilities that go along with it. It\u2019s easy to justify putting off going to the gym and making time for yourself to exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I knew it I didn\u2019t even recognize the fat guy looking back at me in the mirror. Here I was with a 40+ inch waist and a gut that stuck out further than my chest. Far cry from the former competitive bodybuilder that I used to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Lee<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Q:
What was the turning point to change your spiraling habit?<\/strong><\/span>

Lee Hayward:
<\/strong>One day I was watching a YouTube video by Stan “Rhino” Efferding and he was talking about doing 10-minute walks and the benefits of short frequent cardio workouts for fat loss, improving digestion, and improving insulin sensitivity, etc. If you haven\u2019t already done so, I recommend you check out his YouTube channel, great stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After watching Stan\u2019s video, it really got me thinking about just how little exercise it actually takes to make a difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, as a former competitive bodybuilder I was guilty of falling into the ALL or NOTHING trap… Thinking that if I couldn\u2019t follow the perfect workout program and give it 100% – then what\u2019s the point of doing anything at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:
Is it more of a mindset?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee Hayward:
<\/strong>Yes, I actually developed a mental block thinking that if I never had 2 hours to go to the gym, or couldn\u2019t do at least 45 minutes of cardio, that:
\u201cI didn\u2019t have time to exercise\u201d. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that\u2019s a crock of BS\u2026 Something is always better than nothing. That\u2019s why these days I keep telling guys that you don\u2019t have to be perfect – you just have to be:
\u201cGood Enough, But Good Enough Consistently\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q:
Where did you start? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lee Hayward:
<\/strong>I started incorporating 10 minute walks throughout the day. Literally just putting on my sneakers and walking up the road for 5 minutes and then turning around and walking back. It was so simple, quick, and easy – yet I felt really good afterwards!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found that just the act of getting my ass out the door was the hardest part. But once I got outside and started walking, I\u2019d sometimes end up going for 15 or 20 minutes or more because I actually enjoyed it and it felt good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, I mentally told myself at the start that I just have to go for 10 minutes. And there were lots of times that I literally did go for just 10-minute walks, but about half the time it ended up being a 20-minute walk or more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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