We’ve covered fitness for years here at DMARGE, including all the workouts and nutritional advice you need to get that body transformation over the line, lose some weight, or simply take better care of yourself. In that time, we’ve encountered some pretty leftfield workout tips and tricks… but none are quite so counterintuitive as this one.
In a fantastic article for The Wall Street Journal, Jen Murphy closed out her twenty-year-old column for the newspaper with an article on the top ten things her decades-long time researching the fitness industry has taught her. From the many ways to get your sweat on to the lesser-known tricks that help keep you active for longer, she covers some very revealing ground.
WATCH: Chris Hemsworth’s New Workout…
Honourable Mentions
Before we get to the most underrated hack this article helped me realise, let’s take a look at a few of the other tips and tricks that really caught my eye. The first taps into a debate that has long been raging amongst fitness fanatics and will likely continue to do so for many years to come: what’s the best time of day to workout?
Murphy claims that after many years of research, it’s officially the early risers who stick to their routines for the longest time and with the most consistency. Citing the late Jack LaLanne — often called the Godfather of Fitness — as well as Former NFL head coach Herm Edwards and sports-talk personality Skip Bayless, Murphy says that beyond all doubt it’s best to train first thing in the morning.
Another useful insight Murphy identifies is that changing your workout routine to match your ‘life stage’ is another key to consistency and success. Career and family obligations can be the root cause of many former gymrats packing in the hobby, and so by switching up your regimen to factor in these changes, you can keep going for longer. Take Henry and Betsy Schloss who switched marathon running for short runs with a double pram in tow as a perfect example…
Making your workouts something to look forward to, rather than a dreaded chore that you only associate with sweat, pain, and perilous injuries is another tip that Murphy outs forward, suggesting that if you can find an aspect to your workout that excites you beyond the exercise itself, you’re lucky to have more success in the long-term.
If you’re a keen surfer, for example, focus on that beautiful sunrise you might catch, rather than the fantastic core workout you’ll get…
Half-Ass Heroes
The best tip that this article revealed to me, however, was not one written out by Murphy herself. Rather, I found it lurking in the article’s many comments from readers. Hidden amongst much praise for Murph and sad farewells from her common, there lay one especially insightful comment from a reader who goes by the username Edward Givens.
Whether you’re a pro athlete or someone just starting out on their fitness journey, we all have days where we just can’t be bothered to get up, get on our gear, and head down to the gym, track, or pool of choice.
Givens argues, however, that rather than simply allowing these feelings to win and taking an impromptu rest day (which, for the record, we do endorse and is crucial for good health in good measure), you have to learn to love the idea of a ‘half-assed’ workout:
“My best fitness advice is to tell yourself to half-a55 your workout on the days you’re not feeling inspired. Suddenly you’re ten minutes in and you’ve found a groove.”
Edward Givens
And it’s hard to deny his logic: getting to the gym and doing something, no matter how low effort that may be, is infinitely preferable to doing nothing at all. So, next time you wake up and just don’t feel like hitting the gym, remind yourself that you can be as lazy with your workout as you like, you just need to get there and start.
The rest will follow along and before you know it you’ll not only have enjoyed a killer workout but, should you stay consistent, you might just find yourself enjoying the body of your dreams too.