What can you do that serves you well, body and mind, in just ten minutes? Take a moment to think about the kind of things you could do in ten minutes, and then you’ll be starting to work on your own 10 minute challenge.
We know we need to move and relax to best look after our bodies, for now and for ageing well. But all too often we are busy, we tell ourselves we haven’t the time, we can’t see how to find any time, we wait for motivation to strike, we find something else to do instead.
Part of the problem can be that we are looking for huge chunks of time, and it does not need to be that at all.
Sure, hours and hours will better serve us than ten minutes, but let’s not disparage that ten minutes.
Little and often, it’s all better than nothing, right?
Walking 1000 steps is better than 0 steps.
Eating 50g of protein is better than 10g.
Lifting 3KG weights is better than no lifting at all.
Adding 10 plants to your diet, is better than 0 plants.
Drinking a glass of water is better than no water.
Small steps in the right direction all add up. And we do need to recognise every effort, rather than telling ourselves we’re not doing enough.
Our end goal might be much more than these steps, but we’ve got to start somewhere, we can’t go from 0-60 on building long term healthy habits.
Ten minutes counts. It counts, and lots of ten minutes scattered throughout the week make a huge difference.
It’s logical, isn’t it? We just seem to like to ‘go big or go home’. We want fast results, big changes, and all or nothing. Which is where most of us stumble and don’t manage to stick with the good intentions.
Try the 10 minute challenge instead.
Challenge yourself to find a pocket of ten minutes each day this week and use it deliberately to look after yourself.
Just ten minutes a day. Start there.
Do you love to dance? Pop a YouTube dance video on and move and laugh for ten minutes.
Are you keen to get back to reading? For just ten minutes, maybe while you’re waiting for dinner to cook, while you’re on the train, just before you sleep, read that book.
Yoga doesn’t have to be an hour session, ten minutes of stretching, moving and relaxing is way better than no movement at all.
Want to improve your bone density? Search YouTube for a Plyometrics ten minute video and give it a go. You’ll be ticking improving bone density, balance and heart health off with that one.
Not had any fresh air or daylight today? Walk round the block for ten minutes. Sure, you’ll want to shoot for 7-10k steps a day, but honestly, ten minutes is better than zero minutes, right?
Grab a notebook and journal for ten minutes.
Want to get into strength training and lifting? Grab those weights, set a timer and lift for ten minutes when you finish work.
Have you been meaning to take more care of your skin? Ten minutes is plenty of time to cleanse, treat and protect your skin in the morning or before bedtime.
Feeling tired? Go to bed ten minutes earlier.
Ten minutes, focused on you. For your health and wellbeing today, both today and in the future.
Then when you’re happy with the ten minutes challenges, you might add another ten minutes each day, then another.
Maybe your ten minutes weights sessions morphs into 30 minutes. Maybe your quick walk doubles in length. Maybe those few pages of your book become a few chapters. See where it takes you over time.
But first and foremost, ten minutes a day. No more, and see the win in doing that. That is the goal here, ten minutes. The big picture stuff comes later, but that ten minutes is the start, and it’s a start you an stick to. You can find ten minutes.
Ten minutes. You are doing it, and you are making a difference. In no time at all you’ll feel the benefits.
Will you take up the 10 minute challenge?