12 Minutes
12 Minutes of exercise has been shown to have amazing benefits. Stopping to move and exercise and get your heart rate up for only 12 minutes can clear your thinking and have a huge impact on your brain function, making your work more productive. Moving for 12 minutes can life your mood, helping to bring endorphins into your system which will move you past struggles, lighten your mood, and help turn your day around. Only 12 minutes of activity can bring you energy, alertness, and counter the effects of stress and long hours of sitting.
Should you exercise for more than 12 minutes? Sure! 30 minutes to an hour is always better. But the point here is that as little as 12 minutes can bring huge benefits to your life.
We often think you have to dedicate a huge chunk of your day to exercising, but this can lead you to just avoid it completely. Some days you just don’t have the time. But the point I want to make is that any amount of movement is a benefit. Set a timer and get up and move around in the middle of your work. Even a few minutes of walking and stretching and moving can have huge benefits. 12 minutes is even better, and research has shown that this 12 minutes can bring profound benefits.
Many people fail to start a new habit of exercise because it just seems to be too much. On the other hand, sometimes they jump in with too much enthusiasm, do too much too soon, get incredibly sore (or injured,) and stop. Allow yourself to ease into this new habit. Start with 12 minutes of walking or moving or dancing or stretching.
Get past the tendency to just give up if you don’t feel you have the time. Any amount of time has lasting benefits. 12 minutes of movement will lighten your mood, clear your mind, improve brain function, and bring alertness and health. You can find 12 minutes in your day. Commit to start this tomorrow and reap the many benefits. Then grow from there!
Tim Hinton
September 29, 2024
