For most people looking to “get in shape,” the most significant hurdles come down to overchoice (trying to pick the “best” choice among many similar options) and splitting (all-or-nothing thinking).
The best workout program is the one you choose and stick to (i.e., enjoy).
You’ve probably heard some version of that before. Still, marketing and persuasion are, increasingly, so sophisticated and intrusive that we repeatedly feel that yesterday’s choice is severely outdated.
Given that physical fitness basics haven’t changed since we left the trees and likely won’t until we’re all brains in vats, the most prudent option is to work with what you already have and where you already are.
Simple, bodyweight movements right on the floor you’re standing on.
In a world where information is abundant, it’s no surprise we value our minds more than our bodies, so we sacrifice the maintenance and development of the latter when time is short.
We tell ourselves that the 30 minutes we planned at the gym will have to wait until tomorrow instead of adjusting down the plan today. All, or nothing.
Instead, drop to the floor and do a single pushup. A squat. A burpee. Whatever it is, do it now. Then maybe you’ll do another, and before you know it, you’ll be the kind of person who stays in shape despite not having the time, money, or program expertise to do so.