USING LITTLE TIME POCKETS FOR FITNESS TO CREATE CHUNKS OF FREE TIME

Free moment at sunrise. Taken by PKSenagore August 26, 2019. All rights reserved.

ANDREW MERLE SUGGESTS, IN AN ARTICLE FOR MEDIUM.COM, THAT WAITING FOR LARGE BLOCKS OF OPEN TIME TO INITIATE AND COMPLETE TASKS likely leads to decreased productivity, or worse. He feels that many of us tend to squander seconds and minutes, adding up to potentially hours of missed opportunity.
 
To make the most of these spare moments of 5 m, he says in “How to Maximize Small Pockets of Time”, we must first recognize signposts that mark the beginning of these valuable but often wasted time-pockets.  Merle calls them “triggers”. The second key step in utilizing these times he indicates, is to “determine what can be done in these little chunks of time”. 
 
Merle provided several examples of how he has managed to reclaim some minutes in his own life. Rather than patiently wait 2 minutes for the shower water to warm each morning, he decided to drop and perform pushups just after turning on the water (his trigger). And instead of letting time pass by while the coffee brews he suggests calling a loved one to make personal contact as soon as the coffeemaker is switched on (the trigger). A third example involves meditation. Time pockets of five or less minutes can be maximized in this fashion, he says.
 
The trick, as Merle says, is to identify specific triggers that will remind us to initiate and complete the desired action.
 
Earned Runs loves this concept.  We all might be attempting to do this intuitively, but only on some days, and in a hit-or-miss manner.   However, if we commit to finding pockets of times that are currently squandered each day and determine which ones we can regularly use in a productive way, might we also reclaim that time to use for other purposes? Maybe for relaxation or recreation!
 
Let’s say we squeeze 5-minute time pockets of upper body strength work into each of 5 days, totaling 25 minutes per week.  That effort normally would consume traveling to and from a fitness facility plus 15-30 minutes of a larger workout, at least 2 or 3 days a week.  By getting it done in time pockets, a chunk of at least 30-60 minutes each week could be saved and enjoyed in some other way. [Travel time isn’t counted because we may plan to go to the gym regularly anyway.]
 
Below are athletic and health-related activities that might be performed in 5-minutes or less that borrow from Merle’s inspiration:

• BALANCE EXERCISES: while scrolling through TV program guides looking for potential shows to watch/stream, or a movie to download, balance on one leg, 2 minutes each.
• STRETCHING: when checking the local weather and traffic updates first thing in the morning, perform hip girdle mobility moves (myrtl’s), dynamic or static stretches.
• FOAM ROLL: During the last 15 minutes of a TV show before turning in at bedtime, get down on the floor and foam roll your back to relax.
• ANKLE MOBILITY: while lying supine in bed before sleep or prior to rising, ‘write’ the alphabet with each foot.
• CALF RAISES: after rising from sitting at a computer for a break, steady yourself on a desk edge or chair and perform 10 single leg calf raises on each leg, for 3 sets.

 
Andrew Merle provides motivation to make the most out of small spare moments each day. What he encourages lines up with practices advocated by the current lifestyle organization trend. The foundations of the various organizing systems seem to center on the identification of clothing or household items which are necessary to daily living, then maximizing small storage spaces such that each can be folded or arranged in its own special place. The secret sauce of life organizing starts with uncluttering.  Rarely used items are packed up and donated or discarded.
 
In our fitness lives it’s possible that one or two goals that we feel are important to meet for health can be identified, and activities designed to help achieve them fit into small time slots. In this way each will have a place secured in a routine such that repeated performance is possible and progress can be realized. Like Merles pre-shower daily push-ups.  He started with the ability to consecutively perform a maximum of 20, and ultimately mastered a whopping 75!
 
These brief activities can involve fitness, meditation, and personal relationship building as described in the article.  It’s up to the individual to choose what’s vital. Some might choose sleep, nutrition, or cognitive training.
 
However, it also may be vital to leave some ‘un-maximized’ minutes open, aware of when they occur, and fully savor each unfettered hour fraction. Back in the day, I remember that kindergarten ‘free time’ was the best! Life might be good when it’s organized, but it’s wonderful when enjoyed.
 
RUN & MOVE HAPPY!
 
https://medium.com/@andrewmerle/how-to-maximize-small-pockets-of-time-991cabbc2d3a