The New York Times seven-minute workout

Our first step to becoming antifragile is to deepen our connection with who we are at our best and what matters most to us. This brings us the clarity, calm, and confidence to deal with anything that happens.

One of the four ways we recommend for achieving this deeper connection with ourselves is exercise. Exercise not only keeps us healthy and happy, it also helps us to process the stresses we can so easily feel in a time of change. And as we deepen our connection with our body, so we deepen our connection with ourselves.

But when we all live such busy lives, how can we find the time for exercise?

John Ratey, psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, says it needn’t take long:

“Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your mood, memory and learning. Even ten minutes of activity changes your brain.”

And if you don’t have ten minutes, The New York Times has published a series of exercises that take just seven minutes to complete. In the Scientific Seven Minute Workout, described below, the only equipment you’ll need is a wall and a chair.

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and BlueSky, chairman of Block, says he starts his days by performing this workout three times.

And the latest research now shows that Exercise Snacking might be at least as good for you as a 30-minute session, possibly even more beneficial.

Would you benefit from taking more exercise? Could you fit just seven minutes of exercise into your day? Or ten? Or would it suit you better to “snack” on two minute ‘micro-workouts’ spaced throughout the day? Find whatever works for you.

Diagrams for the Scientific SEVEN-Minute Workout :

For people who prefer to work with weights, there is also an ‘Advanced Seven Minute Workout’. A free app provides step-by-step instructions and timings for both.

If neither of these suits you, the NY Times offers other alternatives lasting one minute, four minutes, and ten — and repeating cycles of just 10, 20, and 30 seconds. 

Adapted from Inner Leadership: a framework and a set of tools for building inspiration in a time of change.

You can sign up to daily posts here.

You can buy the book here and the workbook here.

(And remember: you can’t learn to swim just by reading about swimming, you also need to do the practice.)

Photo By Internet Archive Book Images via StockPholio.net