Timebox to exercise (2 of 5)
Say when; and just do it then
If you or your organisation has 100 or more people who’d like a 60-minute session on timeboxing, let me know by replying to this email.
I hate exercise. I don’t look forward to it. I procrastinate. And I don't enjoy doing it. But I love the feeling when it’s done: blood pumping, endorphins flowing, a contented awareness that I won’t need to do it again for a while.
Just 28% of Americans exercise enough. It’s natural not to want to exercise — we’ve evolved to conserve energy, saving it for when we needed to hunt and gather. But for most of us today, and probably everyone reading this piece, that need to conserve energy and limit muscle usage has long since changed: modern humans require physical activity to condition the body, improve health, and maintain fitness.
Despite not enjoying it, I do exercise six times a week. And I do it almost entirely because I timebox those exercise sessions. Many of the studies of implementation intentions (essentially, timeboxing) have been about exercise. One influential study looked at three groups. The first was simply asked to record whenever they exercised. The second group was given educational and motivational material about the benefits of exercise, and asked to record when they did it. The third group was asked to state where and when they would exercise. 38% of the first group exercised. 35% of the second group exercised. But 91% of the last group saw the commitment through.
Timeboxing, then, is a great enabler of exercise. More specifically, timeboxing makes you 2.5x more likely to exercise.
Six timeboxing-y ways to improve exercise
Pick a good time. Commit to exercise when you’re likely to be receptive to it. Don’t timebox a run when you know you’re going to be tired. Don’t timebox a slot for yoga if/when it’s likely you’ll be interrupted by the kids. Don’t timebox a home workout for when you’re expecting deliveries.
Multitask! Contrary to the prevailing, simplistic rubric, multitasking can work for some combination of tasks (usually when one of them has become very familiar and requires little conscious cognitive work). Listening to a podcast works with many forms of exercise (yoga, running, weights, etc). Going for a run helps me think and often gives me a couple of fresh ideas for business / life / writing.
Mindset. Think of the exercise as improving all the remaining hours of your day. Think of your future self, just after the exercise, happy, proud and glad. Think of your future self in years to come — healthy and happy. Remind yourself that a little exercise is much, much better than none. Think of the first, tiny step you could take — putting on your trainers, standing up from your desk, or grabbing a yoga mat. Think of the famous 3-word Nike slogan.
Small-medium-large. Have several different options for the size of your workouts. It’s not always possible to exercise for two full hours. I have 15-min, 30-min and 60-min routines. For the shorter versions, make sure that they’re logistically easy (equipment, clothing and space). As much as you can, reduce the friction between you and the activity.
Make it public. Share your calendar with at least one other person. That commitment device will make it more likely that you’ll see it through.
You need to exercise. Find 30 mins and put it in your calendar now.
Just timebox it.
