How much exercise is enough? Most of us struggle with how to get enough exercise.
I’ll show you how to get enough exercise in 19 min just 4 x per week.
You’ll learn my hacks to get enough exercise without too much hassle!
Take Action> Download load my personal 19-min workout
Exercise Requirements
The Mayo Clinic suggests 150-300 min of aerobic activity each week. This can come in the form of activities like walking, swimming or mowing the lawn. If you’re not currently that active, adding 20-40 min to your schedule can be hard to do consistently.
Aerobic Activity
80% of people don’t get enough physical activity according to JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Children and Adults are simply not walking, biking, taking the stairs as much as we should. Life gets in the way and we simply don’t move as much as we should.
Strength Training
Strength training could consist of things like weights, heavy gardening and yard work, construction work. If you’re not a construction worker for your day job, you’ll want to add some strength training 2 x per week. Older adults especially, need strength training to maintain balance and bone density as they age.
Why is physical activity important?
The positive effects of physical activity are wide reaching. Many people want to exercise to lose weight however, being active can also help protect you from heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and more.
Studies have also shown the connection of exercise to improved mental performance, better sleep, less anxiety and overall happiness.
It can predict life span
If you don’t think exercise is important, think again! Your ability to simply get off the floor can predict your longevity. If you have trouble getting down to the floor and getting back up with perfect balance, it shows that you need better physical fitness
The 19-min loophole to enough exercise!
Looking closer at the Mayo Clinic guidelines for physical activity we see that although they recommend 150-300 minutes of aerobic activity such as walking, the go on to say that you can shorten that requirement to as little as 75 min per week of “vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity”
With the right workout, (and a little extra effort) we can drop the requirements to this…
75 min ÷ 4 days = 18 minutes, 45 seconds
Lets round that to 19 minutes per day – Only 4 days per week!
If you chose your exercise carefully, you can figure out how to get enough exercise in less that 20 minutes per day 4 days a week. Working out 4 days per week is VERY sustainable because you’re only committed about every other day. Within a normal week you can miss a workout or two and still catch up and get your 75 min per week!
What kind of Exercise do you need?
There are 3 main components we need to work in to our magical 19 min per day as per the Cleveland clinic. We will need vigorous aerobic activity, strength training and mobility. These will cover our bases to keep us healthy!
1. Strength Training
What is it? Strength training is the movement of any weight against resistance (including your own body) Weight training with free weights or machines, heavy gardening or climbing stairs are all examples of strength training.
Why do you need it? As we age (past age 30) lots of bad things can happen. We gain weight, lose bone density develop, chronic conditions and lose mental sharpness. Research shows strength training can help with all of that!
2. Mobility Training
What is it? Mobility is the ability of a joint to move through a range of motion. You’ll often hear the terms, stretching or flexibility used interchangeably but flexibility is a passive movement. Yoga is a great examples of time tested mobility training. It’s not just stretching… it’s MOBILITY!
Why do you need it? We want to move ACTIVELY so the focus should be on mobility not simply stretching. Good mobility in our bodies decrease pain associated with sitting at work or in our cars. Sitting causes a slew of physical problems that mobility training will keep a bay.
3. VIGOROUS Aerobic Activity
What is it? Vigorous activity is defined by the AHA as exercise at a heart rate of 70 to 85% of a person’s max heart rate. Any activity that you can’t speak more than a few words at a time is the correct intensity. Walking would not be vigorous but walking upstairs might be!
Why do you need it? It strengthens your heart, lowering your risk of heart disease, lowers blood sugar, and even strengthens your immune system. It’s also a key in maintaining a healthy weight (something always important to Mr Skinny Pants 😉
How to create your 19 minute exercise routine
One of the keys to this type of routine is convenience. It can be done at home or at the gym but the beauty of doing it at home is that you literally only need 20 min free in your schedule. Even if you miss a day it’s no sweat (pun intended) to get your 4 workouts in per week.
You’ll need 10-12 bodyweight exercises
Things you’ll need:
- A stopwatch (the countdown timer on your phone will work)
- An open space (about 6ft by 6ft of space)
- Your list of exercises
Grab my personal workout
Here is a quick PDF download with the exact exercises I use in my 19-min workout.
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5 ways to make your workout habit stick!
1. Give it a month.
There is not magic to creating a new habit but commit to 30 days to start. As with anything it might be a bit uncomfortable to start but after a couple weeks things should click. It’s only 16 workouts in 30 days. You can do that can’t you?
2. Give yourself a reward
Create an incentive for yourself at the end of your 30 days. You could buy yourself something nice, go out to eat at your favorite fancy restaurant. A night out at my favorite spot in town is always my go to mini reward for achieving a goal I’ve set.
3. Set goals — but don’t let them trap you.
Set your workout times on a schedule. A schedule is nice (it will help create a habit) but you’re not stuck to it. If you can’t get ot your workout because of another commitment, don’t sweat it.
4. Let flexibility be your friend.
The great thing about this workout commitment is it’s NOT EVERY DAY. You just have to get in 4 workouts per week. It has built in flexibility for real life! If you miss a workout, all is not lost, you’ve got 3 empty days in the week to fit it in.
5. Make your commitment public
While you could post on social media and let the world know your plan, simply telling some people close to you could do the trick. If others know what your goal is, it will make it all that harder to back out of 🙂
What’s a healthy weight?
Since we are “Mr Skinny Pants” I thought I throw up this height and weight chart for you to peek at below.
I personally workout to feel great and stay healthy but if I’m I’m honest, I have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and I want to look good too 🙂
Still, it was surprising for me to see what a ‘healthy weight’ really is. I better keep up my 19-min workouts or I’ll slide the wrong way on this chart!
Are you at a healthy weight?
If I gave you a 25lbs backpack to carry around ALL DAY… how would you feel? If we can all get a little ‘skinnier’ and lose the backapck, we will feel much better.
Take Action> Download load my personal 19-min workout
Let’s Take Action Together
If you want to start losing weight and burning fat today…
Get FREE access to my: 21 Day Fat Burning Challenge
It’s the exact protocol to use when you need to lose a few lbs.
It will walk you through the exact steps I use for myself and for our coaching clients
It works just as well if you have 2 pounds to lose or 200.
Grab your 21 Day Challenge Fat Burning Guide
I’ve had readers lose as many as 11 pounds in just three weeks just by following the steps outlined in my free guide.
It’s the same process I use for myself.
You can grab the guide here!
Not sure if you’re ready to lose weight?
Read how to tell if you’re motivated enough to lose weight.
Final thoughts
Staying in shape and being healthy takes a multi pronged approach. Diet and exercise go hand in hand in keeping us ‘skinny’ and helping feel great. The good new is I’ve got you covered on both. On the diet side, check these resources out:
Do you cook at home?
- Check out our Low Carb Recipes
Are you always on the go?
- Check out our Low Carb Fast Food Guides
Best wishes,
-Brian B from Mr Skinny Pants
How much water do you drink on the keto diet?
Hi Casey,
There is no magic amount. I keep a water bottle with me all day (and keep it filled) so I make sure I’m always hydrated. Sometimes upping your water intake alone can have some positive effects. Sometimes a little weight loss. Sometimes a bit more energy. I hope that helps.