[This post references an article The New York Times recently published called The Scientific Seven Minute Workout, which you can read here.]
The Scientific Seven Minute workout draws upon research from The American College of Sports Medicine indicating that beneficial cellular change can occur within the body with as little as seven minutes of exercise. This rest article will be your guide on using The Scientific Seven Minute Workout for maximum possible benefit.
Here are some tips to get you started:
1) Create a ritual of practice. A practice is something you show up to again and again with the intention of getting better. For our purposes, getting better means a) having higher quality movement and b) doing more movement within the constraints of the practice.
2) Emphasize quality over quantity. Work on making your movement smooth, mastering basic technique before trying to crank out as many reps as possible. It will feel slower, but will yield better results in the long run (as Stephen Covey likes to say "With people, slow IS fast.")
3) Get Social. Invite as many friends to do this with you as possible. Make it a party. Can you incorporate play into the workout? Do this well and you might find that once you start, you don't want to stop. It transforms training from chore to joy.
4) Link the workout to something you already do. For example, do the workout immediately after leaving work to go home. Create a connection between stepping outside the office to going through your workout. Dr. Oz spends 7 minutes of his morning ritual doing a very similar exercise routine.
5) Get a mentor/instruction. Learning from someone else will put you on the fast track to success. It will also make you think twice before skipping that workout if you know someone is going to be checking in on you.
6) Make it through The Dip. When adapting to something new there is an inevitable period where the new thing won't feel good. Hang in there, with time, dedication, and guidance it will eventually feel good. When I started practicing yoga the dip was 2 weeks. Your Dip for the 7 Minute Workout may be longer or shorter. (*Hat tip to Seth Godin, who coined "The Dip")
The Scientific Seven Minute workout draws upon research from The American College of Sports Medicine indicating that beneficial cellular change can occur within the body with as little as seven minutes of exercise. This rest article will be your guide on using The Scientific Seven Minute Workout for maximum possible benefit.
Here are some tips to get you started:
1) Create a ritual of practice. A practice is something you show up to again and again with the intention of getting better. For our purposes, getting better means a) having higher quality movement and b) doing more movement within the constraints of the practice.
2) Emphasize quality over quantity. Work on making your movement smooth, mastering basic technique before trying to crank out as many reps as possible. It will feel slower, but will yield better results in the long run (as Stephen Covey likes to say "With people, slow IS fast.")
3) Get Social. Invite as many friends to do this with you as possible. Make it a party. Can you incorporate play into the workout? Do this well and you might find that once you start, you don't want to stop. It transforms training from chore to joy.
4) Link the workout to something you already do. For example, do the workout immediately after leaving work to go home. Create a connection between stepping outside the office to going through your workout. Dr. Oz spends 7 minutes of his morning ritual doing a very similar exercise routine.
5) Get a mentor/instruction. Learning from someone else will put you on the fast track to success. It will also make you think twice before skipping that workout if you know someone is going to be checking in on you.
6) Make it through The Dip. When adapting to something new there is an inevitable period where the new thing won't feel good. Hang in there, with time, dedication, and guidance it will eventually feel good. When I started practicing yoga the dip was 2 weeks. Your Dip for the 7 Minute Workout may be longer or shorter. (*Hat tip to Seth Godin, who coined "The Dip")
To get started with the 7 minute workout, simply follow the instructions in this app, my favorite of the 7 minute workout apps.
Or, if you don't have a smart phone, this YouTube video will help significantly:
Or, if you don't have a smart phone, this YouTube video will help significantly: