Here is a terrific piece from – James Davis of Banstead TKD

As I have mentioned before, there are no excuses – everyone can do some form of structured daily activity everyday because it really doesn’t take very long at all.

Recently I have received emails from people, in reponse to me suggesting they do some exercise, where the theme is the same. It is one of a lack of available time, and I know where this comes from and I can sympathise: with various jobs, family, friends, hobbies, relaxing, where is the time to:

  1. not eat before training
  2. get changed in to your gym clothes
  3. travel to the gym
  4. work out
  5. shower
  6. get changed
  7. travel back home
  8. Get the gym clothes washed
  9. Sit down
  10. Relax in front of the TV, or however you choose

The problem is just people’s perception of what is required to do some form of physical exercise. To perform your daily prescription of ‘no excuses allowed’ exercise to increase the quality of your movement and your basic strength all those 10 points above can be deleted, because your daily exercises repetitions can be done anytime, anywhere and anyhow you choose and it is not considered ‘working out’:

  1. You don’t need special clothes
  2. You don’t need to ‘not eat’ before repping, it’s just a few reps (you could steer away from big meals anyway)
  3. You don’t need a gym membership and you certainly don’t need to travel anywhere
  4. You don’t need to get changed in and out of special clothes
  5. You don’t need to watch TV (think, Red Hot Chili Peppers – Throw Away Your Television)

Here are some suggestions to help you just do some reps anytime:

While waiting for the kettle to boil for your first brew of the day you can do this:

  1. 5 Dips using the corners of your kitchen worktop, or two chairs side by side
  2. 5 lunges left and right
  3. 5 Press ups
  4. 5 squats getting your bottom as close to the floor as you safely can
  5. This maybe takes 2 – 3 minutes

That makes ‘20 reps’, next:

  1. Pour water over tea bag and allow brewing time
  2. Do those 20 reps again while waiting
  3. 6 minutes out of your day so far

    4. You could spend those 15 minutes in front of the TV if that’s what you do of an evening. It is only 15 minutes.

That makes ‘40 reps’, next:

  1. Enjoy your tea and afterwards
  2. Do those 20 reps again
  3. 9 minutes down so far

That’s ‘60 reps’, more than half way, get ready and go to work now (perhaps). If you can’t rep at work then do the remaining 40 reps (about 6 minutes work) when you get in and waiting for the kettle to boil.

Perhaps you feel you haven’t got the ‘15 minutes a day’ it takes to do 100 reps, but it is only 15 minutes. You could get up 15 minutes earlier, 15 minutes before the children usually wake up.

Perhaps you feel you haven’t got 15 minutes to spare in any single period throughout the day and, anyway you might not want to sweat too much in your work clothes. The great thing is that these reps, this habit of excellence you’re creating, can be done on their own, you don’t have to do the circuit of exercises together. You can benefit just by doing 5 press ups on their own, which might take about 20 seconds. You can always find 20 seconds.

There are no excuses for the ‘I haven’t got time’ mindset, there is always time available.

Hopefully you can see now it isn’t that hard to make the time. Stay tuned for lots of suggestions of how to fit in some bodyweight exercises in to your day and remember that ‘100’ is just as number, if you do ‘60 reps’ for starters then that’s great and in time you’ll want to do more.