When I started exercising a few years ago, I told myself I wanted it to be at least 15 minutes and at most 30 minutes per session, 3 times per week.
I wanted to be fit and maybe look fit… but looking fit is optional. Being fit is number one. the main goal.
So, I searched across YouTube to find the most interesting exercise for me. From all the thousands of videos, I found Chris Heria’s How to Get the Ultimate Physique (Cardio Workout). It caught my attention the most.
I played Chris Heria’s video and followed exactly what he did.
And… I can't even last 3 minutes. It was too intense.
Fifteen minutes later, I was lying on my bed, completely unmovable.. I'm in a deep sleep.
It took me a few days to realize that for a 50-year-old guy who just started exercising, taking Chris Heria as a virtual trainer was a little too much.
But I didn’t want to quit. This is what I want.
What Chris does in the video:
Jump Rope — 45 seconds, Rest 15 seconds
Jumping Jack — 45 seconds, Rest 15 seconds
Knee Jump — 45 seconds, Rest 15 seconds
Touch Toe — 45 seconds, Rest 15 seconds
Speed Run — 45 seconds, Rest 15 seconds
Bicycle — 45 seconds, Rest 15 seconds
Mountain Climber — 45 seconds, Rest 15 seconds
All of the above is one set. Chris says.. do it 5 sets (rounds).
I didn’t want to quit after the first try. Quitting was not an option. I really needed to do this. Admitting to myself that I’m old… or too old… I guess I had to do it the old man’s way.
So… I reversed the timing. Jump Rope — 15 seconds, Rest 45 seconds, and the same for the rest. I laughed to myself… this could be too easy.
No, it’s not. Nothing is easy when you’re just starting. It took me years to complete 5 sets (rounds) with 30-seconds-on / 30-seconds-rest timing, and till this day, I’m still working on it to improve my fitness.
It took a lot of understanding, motivation, passion, patience, and persistence just to build the habit and routine, and to make it part of my life.
I needed to understand how the exercise affected my mind and body, listen to how my body responded after each session — how it felt 4 hours later, a day later, and in the next few days.
If there’s something I can share, it’s this: it doesn’t matter how you start. It doesn’t matter if you fail. What matters is finding what works for you. Adjust whatever is necessary so that you’ll keep trying and keep doing.
And most of the time… most of the things we do… don’t show results in a few days, weeks, or even months. It takes years… many years.
Of all the things I've been through with my exercise routine, I'm still struggling to do the same with writing.