Do you like to watch thriller movies?
In the movie The Silence of The Lambs there’s a line from Anthony Hopkin’s immortal character stuck with me. It’s so simple, yet it was so scary at the time:
“Tick-tock, tick-tock…”
He was reminding Clarice Starling, the young FBI agent, that time was growing shorter. The sands were falling through the hourglass. Move fast, or there will be dire consequences.
Okay I admit it folks, I’m pulling a bit of a pre-Halloween scare on you. This is one of the few times when “time running down” is a really **good** thing.
The time I am referring to is EXERCISE time. The time it takes to get fit.
It seems that Washington cannot make up its mind these days, doesn’t it? Exercise time requirements are no exception to the rule. But this time, they got it right.
A few weeks ago, the Department of Health and Human Services decided to put a final “this is really, really, it” stamp on the never-ending question:
“How long must you work out each week in order to be fit and healthy?”
The results from a very diverse panel of experts reviewing a mountain of data was not surprising to me at all.
But it shocked millions.
“About two hours of exercise… A WEEK.”
That’s right folks. I’ve been saying it for years. I wrote a book about it this year:
7 Minute Muscle 
Super-short Workout Plan
I suppose the message is getting out to the masses at long last.
You DO NOT NEED hours of exercise a day to be healthy. In fact for most of you long workouts would be counter-productive. Some can do it and really be healthy. Most cannot.
I cannot. I can tolerate only about four hours of hard exercise a week, and that is when I’m training for peak shape.
That does not include my daily walks, which are more relaxing than “exercise” to me.
More about the study –
I’d like to think my latest book had a “bit” of an impact on these new findings. In fact several of my studies were quoted in the complete study. Cool, eh?
Either way, the panel reversed the flawed findings of less than a few months prior that suggested 4-5 hours of exercise per week as “just about right.”
Oh, it gets better…
They found that two hours of exercise could even be shortened (gasp!) if the “exercise was of an intense nature.”
You know… like my 7 Minute Workout?
Yeah, like that.
Then they found the usual: This much exercise is sufficient to lower one’s blood pressure, risk of heart disease, reverse or help prevent Type 2 Diabetes, battle depression, increase bone strength, and even help prevent colon cancer.
Geepers. From two hours a week of exercise? Who would have thunk it?
Oh…right. I thunk it. (grin, snicker…)
And get this about cardio: “Do it for 10 minutes at a time to be effective.” In short, you can do several shorter bouts rather than one long bout and still get ALL of the benefits.
Just like my 9-minute cardio protocol in my book? Yes, that’s right.
( I am sounding like a broken record here, eh? : )
“The kind of exercise matters a lot,” said Dr. William Kraus, a Duke University cardiologist who co-authored the scientific report. Runners like Kraus can achieve the same health benefit in a fraction of the time of a walker.”
The walking reference was to casual walking and that being the only form of exercise one was doing. I would never recommend that. Anyway, Dr. Kraus goes on…
“If you do it more intense, you can do less time,” explained Kraus, who praised the guidelines for offering that flexibility.
“This brings it back down to earth for a lot of people.”
No joke.
I took some flack from a few experts on my book due to the title and the super-short nature of the workouts.
Turns to find out I may not have been so off my rocker.
Read it for yourself. Then, better, yet, do it. You’ll find the workouts extremely effective and a major stress reliever.
During this time of challenge, we need all the stress relief we can get.
7 Minute Muscle Super-short Workout Plan
Oh, as a side-note: Sleep was paramount to good health in this study and every other study on health.
My workout plan helps you sleep like a baby due to the way we trigger some key hormones…. right around bedtime.
Enjoy those additional hours in your day.
Wealthy or Healthy?
This is just a short rant on what I see as a growing national crisis.
Sure, the economy is in the toilet. But you know just as I do that it will eventually turn around. For those of us who have been around since the 1970s we have seen this kind of thing happen.
For those of you who are old enough to have experienced the effects of the Great Depression, then… wow. What can you say other than “this too will pass.” Rough, yes. But it will pass.
But let me ask you a question:
Would you rather be healthy or rich?
Let’s pretend for a moment that you cannot be both… you can. The question is more to make a point.
Tell me this: Would you take twenty million-bucks for both your arms?
How about a billion in exchange for cancer…. not in you, but in the one you loved the most? That’s right… a billion bucks but your loved one gets terminal bone cancer.
Sounds like the movie “Saw”… only this actually has a point. (badda-bing…)
No one in their right mind would answer “yes” to these questions.
Yet answer me this: Why do you NEVER see pictures of frantic guys and gals in suits with their heads in their hands on the front page of the morning paper with this 3-inch headline:
NATION IN CRISIS AS OBESITY EPIDEMIC AMONG CHILDREN AND ADULTS HIT ALL-TIME HIGH!
Never seen it have you? You may never. And what a shame. We value our wealth over our health — we just don’t realize it.
Yes, the economy is bad. I like you do not enjoy it one bit. But folks, it could be so much worse. You could be losing more than stocks and bonds.
You could be losing your health. In fact, you may ‘be’ losing your health by worrying about losing your wealth!
How is that for irony?
Please — do not let the most precious thing you own slide under the crisis bandwagon of the financial times. You may not have much control over these trying times, but you have a TON of control over the status of YOU.
Your health. Your mind. Your internal peace. Your state of gratitude.
Use this time to take control of you. And be thankful for the health you have. It’s your real treasure here on earth. The other stuff just makes it that much more fun to be healthy.
Update From My Tour de France
As some of you know I am in France for the rest of the year. My work has not decreased that much, but it gives me the option of taking much-needed weekend breaks to see some of the most beautiful sections of the southern coast.
My first week was met with a nasty strain of the French stomach flu. I had no immunity built up, so it hit me hard.
Fortunately I have a good immune system so I was back on my feet in a few days. A few LONG days… ; )
Since I’ve been here, I’ve helped my good friend Fabrice Rinaldi finish his second version of his amazing book 1 Rep Fitness. This is the book for the masses, and it just ROCKS. It’s a special 12-week course designed for men and women.
I will let you know about it in a few days. He’s worked hard on this, and it’s been a real pleasure to watch it unfold. His girlfriend was not too thrilled with our working hours. Ah… C’est la Vie.
I’ll be sending you some broadcasts and messages from the south of France as the year progresses.
Conclusion
Tomorrow I’ll share some thoughts from my good friend and world- renown fitness journalist Will Brink on exercise, recovery, and myth-busting.
Will is always good for some controversy!
Tags: 1 Rep Fitness