Getting in Shape: Three Exercise Principles Based on a True Story

by Bud Macfarlane

I was an accomplished athlete growing up—football, basketball, baseball, as well as naturally adept at soccer, frisbee—whatever. Like a number of you, I gradually gained weight into middle age, and sadly, like a few of you, to the point of high-risk obesity.

About fifteen years ago, as our longtime readers may recall, for the sake of my children (and a bit of vanity) I embraced a low-carb diet, exercised virtually every day (skiing, running, outdoor work, and hiking) and regained the slimness of my youth. It was easy because we lived in New Hampshire and there were mountains in the back yard (literally). Since returning to the Ohio suburbs I've gained a bit of weight and have settled into a somewhat beefy middle-aged dude (who can still kick your sorry bum, so don't get any ideas, whippersnappers). My body is understandably breaking down with age; even if I had the time, I just can't play pick-up basketball three or four times a week without straining or injuring something.

Fat, trim, fit, unhealthy, in between—if you've been there or are there, I have experienced your frustrations, pains, and joys firsthand, often for years at a time. As an Italian, I love to eat, too. As a Not-German, self-discipline lies at the bottom of my natural inclinations. I could watch television all day while eating nothing but junk food (the perfect vacation?) and enjoy it until I exploded. My faith teaches that sloth and gluttony are sins, but my flesh begs to differ (and also begs for Doritos and chocolate and Breaking Bad).

As a very engaged father, working man, frequent traveler (and lazy bum), it has become increasingly difficult to find the time and energy to exercise. When I arrive home from work there are always few more hours of "family" time, which I love. Exhausted, when I finally get a chance to relax with a book or watch a show (usually with my sons during what I like to think of as the optimal "do the laundry" window) I look up at the clock and am shocked it's 9:00 pm or later.

Is this your life too, fellow dads and moms? Finally catching your breath at 8:45?

So the conundrum is how to fit meaningful exercise into our schedule while fully and energetically meeting our Christian responsibilities. Months ago I solved this Chinese puzzle by accepting one practical truth, and in response, adopting two simple principles (and one "tracking" method).

First, I accepted that is impossible to exercise for an hour at a time. Realistically, including changing into exercise clothes, driving to and from my local recreation center, showering, and changing again, exercising for a half hour to an hour translates into taking an hour and half out of sacrosanct family time.

One and a half hours! That is never going to happen. Not with my responsibilities—not before work (because getting sleep is part of being healthy) and not after work, and I'm betting not with your responsibilities either. Am I right?

Without further adieu, here are the three deceptively simple principles which worked for me (because I tested them) and should work for you:

1) Exercise for twelve to fifteen minutes.

Consider exercise any rigorous aerobic activity that fits your age, health, and doctor's advice. For me this means any activity that keeps my heart rate between 120 and 150 (including shoveling snow or mowing the lawn with vigor). I'm not a doctor, but I remember reading somewhere that 12-15 minutes of aerobic exercise is sufficient for getting into shape and has the effect of initiating several hours of increased metabolic activity.

12-15 minutes is a minimum, not a limit; if you have more time, good for you: enjoy whatever is medically prudent.

Perhaps more to the point, the "actual" time needed for 12-15 minutes of exercise including travel, clothing changes, and a quick shower: around 30 minutes.

I discovered there is almost always a half hour gap when my family is otherwise engaged and I won't be missed (such as homework time). For me the gap is often just after getting home from work or just before or after dinner.

If I'm really pressed, I run back and forth inside my house and save the travel time. If the weather cooperates, I jump on a bike and ride for six minutes then ride back. Sometimes I'll use four different exercise machines at the workout center for three paltry minutes each. Sometimes I exercise and then do sweaty grocery shopping or other errand in one round trip. Or I walk super-briskly to a nearby store and consider carrying the stuff back a kind of weight training. When my legs are sore, I lift weights for my upper body. I'm sure you can find a variety of 12-15 minute exercises to suit your age, situation, tastes.

2) Aim for 5 or 6 days a week.

But be satisfied with at 3-4 days while trying to never skip more than one day. I don't let it bother me if I miss a day when family or work related responsibilities take precedent. As the weeks go by, you will find, as you grow stronger and more fit, that the habit will build and you'll have more 5-6 day weeks than 3-4 day weeks. (I used this same principle to incorporate daily Mass into my life decades ago. Now I rarely miss a day.)

Also: weekend days are like gold because it is easier to find that 30 minute window—so if you must skip a day, make it a weekday.

In both a practical and psychological manner, this works. I tell myself, "Self, it's only twelve minutes and you'll be back in a jiffy, Buddy Boy." (Yes, I call myself Buddy Boy, as does my mom.) 12-15 minutes is less daunting and easier because, in reality, it is less daunting and easier. You won't feel bad about depriving your family because you won't be depriving your family.

3) Measure Simply.

Live by the maxim "That is which is measured is that which is achieved." Even so, I am too thick to keep track of things with complex details—plus it takes more time. Instead, I write a big blue "E" with a sharpie on the calendar in the kitchen after I complete every exercise session. I derive great satisfaction from writing that E. If four or five Es mark any given seven-day period, cool. My boys see it. I text a photo of that calendar every few weeks to my son Jude in Arizona, who matches me with his own regimen.

Your can copy the calendar idea or come up with a similarly simple method. Line up magnets on your fridge. Stack checker pieces on the windowsill over the kitchen sink. Move your Saint Joseph statue to a designated Exercise Done Today spot on your dresser. Measure with something simple that you can see.

Finally, I invested in a Fitbit solely for the heart rate monitor function and was pleasantly surprised that the cellphone app, which keeps track of steps, sleep, stairs, miles, and calories, etc., is easy to use and quite motivational. Now I primarily measure my health progress by my daily Resting Heart Rate, which is down from 79-80 to 69-70 since I started. I have gained a significant amount of muscle and lost a few pounds of fat, although my goal is health, not weight loss. I'm consulting with my doctor and so should you.

The new approach has been working for months. It has been relatively easy. It does not impinge on responsibilities. My health has improved dramatically. It adjusts smoothly for my older body. I need less sleep, sleep more deeply, and concentrate better at work. I can keep this up for years—similar to the five straight years of slender health I enjoyed in New Hampshire.

12-15 minutes. 4-6 days a week. Measure simply.

If you decide to give some version of this approach a try, let me know or give me an update in a few months from now. I truly hope this helps. I sense it may add years or decades to some of your lives.

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Bud Macfarlane, founder of CatholiCity.com and the Mary Foundation, is the author of three bestselling Catholic novels, available free of charge from Saint Jude Media. You can comment on his articles here.