15 Minute Workout

I'm not a gym guy. The idea of taking time out of my day to go to a building to exercise next to or around (other) potentially sweaty people doesn't hold much sway for me. However, the idea of having a variety of exercise equipment to give my body a well-rounded workout is appealing. But two things hold true: I am not willing to travel to a gym and I am certainly not willing to pay for it. I've exercised for most of my life. In the early years I set a good foundation and was fairly consistent in exercising in one form or another – like lifting weights, doing push-ups and sit-ups, or running. I fell off the wagon after I got married and began remodeling my cabin in Alaska. Then we moved. And moved again. And again. At this time we are physically stable if not psychologically restless.

I have a job that works great for me and the family but we no longer own our home and have close neighbors (no complaints regarding them) and yearn to be on our own property to have more space again and start building the infrastructure for more autonomy and less reliance on all the grids that we – and almost all of humanity in the developed world – are dependent on. I'm trying to do that in a way that is smarter than some important changes/moves I've done in times past. Since I have a young family but am not all that young myself it behooves me (any time I write that word – behoove - I think of my dearly departed mother who is the only person I recall ever saying it) to do what I can to stay healthy. That of course means eating nutritious food (is there such a thing anymore?) but also means keeping my body relatively fit. But – like most people – I am good at making excuses not to exercise. That's why my alarm goes off at 4am and go to bed when the kids do – around 8pm. If that sounds boring it is, but I've never been the life of any party anyway and the schedule has been working great since I started the routine last summer. It's the only quiet time I can manage for a few hours during the day and I use the time to read scripture and other books and to work on my projects. It's also the time I set aside to work out. For most of my life I used to try to set aside a half hour or so for exercise, but it was difficult to be consistent over time. Even with my current schedule I knew I would falter if I set that as my goal, so I started my 15-minute program. It's working. I get prepped for what I want to do, set my timer, and get busy. I quickly go from one thing to another and I can usually do three different exercises of three reps of 12-20. I don't have much room in my bedroom but enough room – at least enough room to do standing exercises or lay on the floor. I have no bench but do have weights-in-a-box (from Walmart) and use my wife's exercise bungees and mini trampoline. I'm not looking to build muscle, per se, but to build health and well-being. I do not have set daily exercises, but a list that I start anew every week on Sunday. I give myself the option of mixing and matching any exercises together but naturally lump similar muscle groups in a work-out since it makes sense. I always have the timer going to keep me on task but usually end the workout when I'm done with the exercises, which typically takes 15-20 minutes. However, when the timer goes off for certain things (like sit-ups or running on the mini tramp) then I'm done there and then. A 30-minute workout is pushing it for me, but I know if I make excuses not to exercise for a mere 15 minutes today or any day that I would prove I was full of crap. After all, it's only 15 minutes! Will this work for others? Heck if I know. I'm not a fitness guru and my body responds well to exercise since I set that good early foundation, but who can't benefit from taking a few minutes out of their day to exercise? Or at least stretch, for starters.

But this isn't just about me. My consistency with my routine has also allowed my wife to be consistent with her routine. By the time I exercise the kids are up and she has addressed their immediate needs. After I finish I then watch the little dudes while Bobbie goes to the bedroom to do her exercise routine. Then she goes to the office to work on her projects while I start homeschooling. After doing that for awhile I'll then meander off to my day job. So it is win-win-win: when I have a little daily discipline and focus on what I say is important to me it benefits the entire family.

My body looks forward every morning to this routine and it seems to me that no matter what condition anyone is in can it hurt to do something for a few minutes a day. Our body's have arms, legs, an abdomen, etc and they all need a little attention. I don't do any of the same exercises again until I get through the whole list, and this has enabled me to get a much more balanced weekly workout than I usually got in my younger days when I would focus on my upper body in the weight room. I don't feel as 'creaky' in the morning as I did when I was inconsistent or not doing it at all – and I'm getting better sleep by not keeping my brain alert looking at a blue screen on my phone or computer late at night before bed. The days of staying up until midnight disappeared – albeit reluctantly- with my kids but nowadays I just want to be mobile and alert long enough for my kids to grow up.

Now if only I can find real food to eat instead of all the crap with pesticide residue and without any nutritious value.