Lazy but Consistent: My Secret to Staying Fit
The lazy person’s guide to exercise (that actually works)
Somehow, I’ve stayed fit without being a fitness nut. I don’t count calories, I don’t spend hours in the gym, and I’m definitely not chasing six-pack abs. I just do a little bit, almost every day, and it adds up. The lazier you are, the smarter you’ll get about staying in shape.
I’m a very lazy person.
And yet… somehow I’ve stayed consistent with exercise. How? Mostly through short conversations I have with myself that sound something like this:
“I don’t feel like doing Radio Taiso today.”
“But you like being flexible?”
“Yes…”
“You know it’ll only take three minutes.”
“True. Okay. I’ll do it.”
Or this, when it’s time for planks:
“I don’t feel like planks.”
“But you do like not having back pain, right?”
“Oh yeah.”
“And it’s just a few minutes. A 1:10 plank is enough for a Marine to pass a fitness test.”
“Good point.”
“Then you’ve only got 30 seconds each for the reverse plank and side planks. That’s four minutes total. Just four minutes to avoid back pain. Not bad, right?”
“Right.”
That motivating voice doesn’t win because I’m naturally disciplined. It wins because the time commitment is low and the payoff is high.
Here’s my current lineup:
Radio Taiso: 3 minutes
Animal movements: 2 minutes
Cardiovascular training: 40s to 1 minute (two to three 20-second sprints)
Strength training (isometrics): 3–6 minutes
That’s it.
Keep it short. Keep it simple. Keep it fun.
That’s my approach—and the principle behind the course I’m working on. Once you start thinking in these terms, fitness becomes a lot more manageable. Not easy, but do-able. And if it’s do-able, it’s sustainable.
I’m not making this up. There’s good science behind these methods, and I’m far from the first to stumble onto them. Bruce Lee’s isometric workouts, for example, took only 90 seconds. I’m still working up to that level of intensity… but then again, I’m not aiming to star in a martial arts movie anytime soon. 😉
One last tip:
You can skip a day now and then without losing progress.
Except for Radio Taiso. That’s your toothbrush. Don’t lose it. Do it daily, no excuses. 😉
I heard a term “exercise snacks” like stretch your body while waiting for the kettle to boil. Stand on one leg for balance while brushing your teeth. I like the idea of putting exercise in without thinking “ I have to do my routine now”. I also heard of a woman named Katie Bowman who advocates for planning your home to reinforce movement. For example, put your most used dishes in the lowest drawer so you have to squat every time you get one. Interested to hear about your new program.
Love your mantra for training... trying to embrace it myself now