Maybe a dumb question...

  • Is it a waste of time to exercise once a week? I should be exercising more, I totally get that, but if I only have time to do it one time.. is there a point? I'm not looking for an excuse not to exercise, and at the same time, a part of me wonders if that one workout will even make a difference...

    -Aimee
  • I think it does. My doctor once told me "A little exercise is always better than no exercise at all." .... And I've stuck to that. Exercise is good for your heart, your blood pressure, etc.
  • Maybe as far as weight loss I am not sure but I do know that it will benefit your heart greatly to get every minute you can. Even if it is only once a week. Healthy heart... healthy body... healthy body... more motivated you! DO it.
  • May I suggest that instead of looking at a 'formal' exercise time that you start creating opportunities to move more? I believe, in the beginning, that moving more IN ANY CAPACITY is key to creating a healthier lifestyle.

    Try parking further away from the grocery store, taking stairs instead of the elevator, playing with the kids, weeding the gardens, etc.

    HTH!
  • I agree.. some is better than none, so keep on keepin' on, and fit in more where and when you can.
  • I agree...
    Some is definitely better than none. You have gotten a lot of good advice, not much more I can say but to do what you can.
    There was a time I didn't exercise at all. Then I just did a little, then a little more...and well you'll decide what you want to do when. I love to walk, I don't walk fast, some people might say I don't get my heart rate up, I don't care. I stroll and love it! I do what I do to enjoy myself, not to win a race.
  • Just curious.... Why don't you have time to exercise?

    Please don't take this the wrong way, but the truth of the matter is, when something is VITAL to us and it really, really MATTERS, we somehow FIND the time. You see the spare time will NEVER fall into our laps. We've got to carve it out. We've got to MAKE time for it. That's just my opinion.

    I think by telling yourself that one time is better then nothing, you make it okay to not do it anymore then that. And that's a shame.
  • I have to agree with Robin. I know there are a lot of people on this site who juggle careers, kids, husbands, social life but still make the time to get in significant exercise.
  • While ANY exercise of course totally benefits you and I would much rather you exercise ONE day instead of NO days... I think that in order to experience long term sustainable weight loss and health that you have to make the time to move your body and get healthier.
  • Once a week is better than nothing. Weight wise, if you do half an hour of intense exercise a week, you'd probably lose an extra 5lb over the course of a year, but the health benefits are significant. (I googled health benefits of exercise once a week, and came up with lots of stuff)

    Do it once a week, and when you feel able, start looking for space to put in another session. The more you exercise, the easier it becomes.
  • Well I exercised, 20 minutes! I feel guilty. But also feel good too. I just feel guilty because my grandma needed to go somewhere and I didn't drive her.

    So why didn't I have more time to exercise more than once this week? Combination of things. Sunday was work and then family dinner. Monday was work and had to go take care of my grandma who has been very very ill this week, which is stressful for me, so I've been spending every moment I can with her, driving her to the doctor's, she hasn't been able to stop working, so I've been making her meals, doing dishes, all that stuff. Generally I walk/jog 1 hour 3-4 times a week, yoga for 20 minutes 5 times a week, and a fairly active lifestyle. Also I'm still dealing with insomnia, but you'd think with such little sleep I'd have more time!

    All excuses. I don't make myself a priority it's really just that simple.

    -Aimee
  • Oh oh oh... so this is just a one off thing? And you NORMALLY exercise FAR more often. Well then that's a different story. Crap comes up. Life gets in the way. Forgive yourself, move on and find different ways to work in moving your body more!
  • Any exercise is definitely better than none. Life does takeover at times but any exercise you can fit in is good.