Whenever I ask people if they’re doing any kind of sport or training, the answer is almost always the same: I don’t have time.
And yes — sometimes that’s true. If you’re a single parent of three, working full-time, carrying the entire mental and physical load alone, then time is not just an excuse. It’s a real constraint.
But for most people? It’s not time. It’s priority.
On average, we spend more than four hours a day on our phones. That’s over 100 hours a month. Entire days swallowed by scrolling, tapping, refreshing. Most of what we consume is forgotten almost immediately — but somehow those hours feel easier to give away than 15 minutes of movement.
After work, do I want to lie on the couch and do nothing? Absolutely. I’m not immune to that pull. But I also know my future self is watching. And she will have to live in the body I’m either maintaining or neglecting.
Especially as women, muscle mass is not just aesthetic. It’s protective. The years before menopause are our investment phase. The more muscle we build now, the better we support our bones later. That’s not vanity — that’s prevention.
And here’s the good news: it doesn’t take much.
A recent study showed that just five minutes of daily eccentric exercise over four weeks significantly improved physical fitness and mental health in sedentary individuals. Five minutes. Not an hour. Not a perfect program. Not a gym membership.
Five.
I’ve heard colleagues call them “movement snacks” or “micro-workouts.” I love that term. Because that’s what they are: small, manageable bites of effort scattered throughout your day.
One physiotherapist I know — juggling business, family, responsibilities — told me he simply can’t carve out a classic workout session right now. So he adapted. Twenty push-ups when he wakes up. Twenty more after setting the table. Another twenty after breakfast. Another twenty after brushing his teeth. By the time he leaves the house, he’s done 80 push-ups.
And you can do that, too. Twenty squats while waiting for the coffee. Calf raises in line at the supermarket. Small deposits into your health account.
Will that turn you into the Hulk (or She-Hulk)? No. But most people don’t need to train like competitive athletes. They just want to feel stronger. More capable. Less in pain.
Yet many try to copy athlete-level programs — and then quit when they can’t sustain them.
If you can’t manage three workouts per week, start with one. If you can’t train for an hour, start with 15 minutes. If you don’t know what to do, start simple: squats, push-ups (elevated if needed), calf raises, pull-ups on a sturdy table or door frame (with your feet on the floor or not).
We overcomplicate movement. If I weren’t training for a specific event, I would probably work out three hours per week. That’s it. We have roughly 112 waking hours each week if we sleep eight hours per night. Taking three of those hours to maintain your body is not excessive — it’s reasonable.
A patient recently told me you basically have to be unemployed to train regularly.
I was standing there giving a presentation, clearly employed, clearly training. The math just doesn’t support the excuse.
And again — it doesn’t even have to be three hours. If you did a five-minute movement break each hour during an eight-hour workday, that’s 40 minutes of exercise without ever “going to the gym.” And you wouldn’t even need to do that daily to see benefits.
Here’s the part that’s harder to hear:
Our healthcare system is under enormous pressure. Waiting months for necessary operations. Budget cuts limiting access despite available staff and space. Appointments that last barely two minutes. Over-diagnosing, over-treating in some areas, under-reacting in others. Fragmented thinking instead of integrated care.
It’s not about blaming individual professionals. Many are doing their best within a system that rewards efficiency and billing more than prevention and long-term outcomes.
But the consequence is real: if you rely entirely on the system to fix what could have been prevented, you may face a much tougher road than a few sets of squats ever required.
So please — let’s stop hiding behind time.
The research doesn’t support it. The math doesn’t support it. And deep down, we know it’s rarely true.
You don’t need perfect conditions. You don’t need an hour. You don’t need to train like an athlete.
You just need to start moving — even if it’s only for five minutes.
🧪 Let’s Experiment
Small movements, repeated daily, beat big plans you never start.
You don’t need to “find time.” You need to attach movement to moments that are already there.
🎯 Try This:
For one week, stop looking for workout time — and start hijacking waiting time.
Whenever you watch your coffee finish brewing, do 10 elevated push-ups on the kitchen counter.
Whenever you wait for the bus, do 10 calf raises.
Whenever you go to the bathroom, do 5 pull-ups on the door frame (if it’s safe and sturdy).
Whenever you brush your teeth, stand on one leg. Switch halfway through.
Whenever you’re waiting for your kids to finish getting ready, do 10 squats.
And whenever you’re about to pull out your phone just to “bridge time,” do a movement snack instead. One mini set. That’s it.
You’ll be surprised how often that moment shows up.
🧠 Final Thought:
You don’t need a new routine. You need a new reflex. Replace automatic scrolling with automatic movement — and watch how quickly “no time” turns into “I already did something today.”
Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.
Take care,
Carina 🦊