One minute: your 2022 training habit

Last year I made a short video sharing my perspective on starting a training habit. The information still holds up; so I'm going to write a bit about this plan of attack.

First, a quick note on what exactly the One Minute plan is. This is not at all perfect. It is not supposed to be. In fact, I believe that it is just imperfect enough to work. A more precise, measured, or cerebral approach most likely would fall apart more quickly. This remains my single best answer to 'how do I begin working out' or 'how do I get back to training'. I do think it might work for other habits as well.

Step one: pick your time

Performing your new action at roughly the same time every day and/or with the same trigger activity will greatly increase your chances of success. It's way easier to attach this new habit to something you already do--like taking your shoes off when you get home from work or brushing your teeth in the morning or on your lunch break--than attempting to create a 'new' space for it. So. Pick a time or an activity that you repeat every day and associate your training habit with it.

Step two: pick your location

Similarly, making this happen at the same place will help as well. Put whatever equipment you've got here. Maybe it's a doorway chinup bar in the bathroom ready and waiting for you when you're done with your morning routine. Maybe it's a kettlebell by the front door to use when you get home. Maybe a pair of dumbbells in your trunk you can use in the parking lot at work. You get the idea. With the same time and same place, forming this habit will be far far easier.

Step three: pick your movement(s)

This step is going to be the easiest one to start overthinking. Don't do it. Pick something that you enjoy to do physically. Anything. I don't care if it's dumbbell curls. This doesn't have to be 'balanced' or 'useful' it just has to be something that you're not quite as reluctant to do. If you absolutely hate all physical activity, find something that at least feels good to you and start with that. Maybe your back feels less stiff after you do some glute bridges. Great, do those and at least you can look forward to feeling a bit better when you're done.

Step four: set the timer

Here's the actual routine. At your designated time, go to your designated place. Set a timer for one minute. Do your chosen movement or exercise until the timer goes off. Congratulations, you're done for the day. It is that simple.

Why one minute?

I chose one minute because it's much easier to try and do something for one minute, knowing that you'll be done and can check that box for the day; than it is to shoot for 20, 15 or even 5 minutes. 1 minute anyone can do. 1 minute is the time you sit letting your eyes glaze over while scrolling before you get out of the car. You can do it.

At the same time, 1 minute is kind of a while if you're doing something nonstop. For the average individual, a one minute plank with good form or a one minute set of pushups or free squats is hard! You might have to stop and rest in the middle. That's okay, too. Rest as long as you have to and keep going until the timer dings at the end of one minute.

What next?

If you want to do more--IF--pick another movement and set the timer for another minute. Do not plan on doing more than one minute when you start your first movement. If you just do one minute, you've won. Anything else is extra. You can do as many one-minute segments as you want, but this doesn't give you permission to skip your minute the next day. That first and potentially only minute is the mission. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

What about a plan or schedule?

Nope. Don't try to start playing with the setup. If you want to have a small 'grab bag' of movements to choose from, you can do that. But don't start trying to make yourself adhere to "I did that yesterday so I must do this today." The less pressure, obligation, planning ahead, and so forth, the better. It's like clockwork. Your time, your place, your chosen movement, one minute, done. Go on with your day and don't think about it.

What about the big picture?

Whatever else you're doing for health, fitness, etc doesn't matter to the one minute thing at all. This is separate. Don't try to attach it to anything other than that 'trigger' activity that is something you already do every day.

How do I transition from this to something else?

One easy way would be to give yourself some slightly more structured follow up options. If your daily minute is pushups, you can pick a few other similar options--rows, squats, lunges etc--to do afterward. Only do this once you've already got the habit pretty well in hand. And never force yourself to do more than that initial minute. Sure, at some point you can have a little circuit of 5 exercises that you do for a minute each and you can repeat that for half an hour or 45 minutes or whatever. But it's more important to keep that base habit you’ve created than try to add something else and lose the entire thread.

And that's it. It's like clue: pushups in the living room after work. Or, kettlebell swings in the laundry room after my morning vitamins. Or, dumbbell presses in the parking lot over lunch. You get the idea. One minute! It's easy. Don't make it hard or complex. It will totally work if you don't try to make it something else. Good luck.