And it’s not the best half of a Tabata workout.
It’s back to taking another swing at the grand scheme of self-improvement. We’ve all been down this road many times before, things start in earnest, inevitably a wheel springs loose, and you’re careening back to square one.
The key feature of the bulletproof series, is starting small. If you set daunting goals that feel far beyond the reach of the person you are now, the mission can fall apart before it’s allowed to pick up any pace.
Let’s put this into context with a fully fledged habit checklist for the day.
The Healthy Body & Soul Routine
- Meditation – 20 Minutes
- Workout Session – 1 Hour
- Fasting – 22 Hours
- Stretching – 15 Minutes
- Sleep – 8-9 Hours
- Mindfulness – Constant
- Deep Breathing – Constant
- Social Media – Minimal except for the latest Genesis Fitness posts
And there’s your plate, a mammoth stack of tasks to get through each day. It’s a proven way to fail. Make everything feel like a chore, and an abrupt change from your normal routine.
You’ll try it, you’ll hate it, and whether slowly or in chaos, things will slip back to the norm. Except it’s even worse than square one, because now a lot of these habits don’t ‘feel right’ for you. Meaning you’re less likely to have another stab.
So I could go ahead and just write down my routine and expect you to follow, but that’s just not going to work.
We’re keeping everything within two minutes. By downsizing lofty targets right down to the smallest possible step. To your brain, it still provides a healthy boost of dopamine, as it’s still signalling the completion of a goal. Just a much more actionable one.
The fourth habit of this series probably should have appeared at the top of the pile, because it’s going to lean heavily into your ability to take on the rest. There’s much more to exercise than simply burning calories.
The brain literally exists to create movement. If you’re not finding ways to bustle around, it’s going to regress across the board.
Neurotransmitters become unstable, serotonin and dopamine levels go down, diminishing positivity and reward-seeking behaviour. The memory and learning function take a hit. Focus and flow state become harder to reach.
There’s much more, but you get the idea. With the damaging effects on mindfulness and task completion, you can wave goodbye to getting anything else done. So you’re better off exercising.
The question is how do you make the start? Especially now that gyms are out of the picture. It’s a little harder to motivate yourself to exercise at home, and it’s easy to get sidetracked once you do, and then having a half-assed go at it.
For that reason, I’d recommend taking things outdoors in the morning, and getting your dose of vitamin d in the process. I’ve already posted several full band routines that are muscle focused and perfect for home use, but to begin with you’re better getting a safe distance from the couch.
It’s a positive action that kicks off the day and encourages more healthy behaviour to follow. Like I’ve said in a previous article, a simple step like this is an entrance ramp to a highway of healthy habits.
Two Minute Exercise Walkthrough
- Do this as one of your first tasks of the day.
- Have your workout clothes laid out in front of you. It’s a crucial step, because you want to set down certain cues that tell your brain that it’s time to clown.
- Put them on to get into that frame of mind.
- Set a podcast, audiobook, or playlist ready to go.
- Go outside.
- Walk, cycle, or run in some direction for two minutes.
- At this point, the habit has been ticked off. You have the freedom to call it a successful day and head back for comfort, or you could risk it all by keeping going.
- Repeat this daily. Ideally at the same time.
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