Podcast 38: 14 minutes of ANYTHING

An everyday system, TM, is a simple, commonsense solution to an everyday problem, grounded by a pun or metaphor. Propose/discuss new systems here.
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reinhard
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Podcast 38: 14 minutes of ANYTHING

Post by reinhard » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:28 am

It's been a while...

http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/episode.php?id=38

I got a new recorder and I think the sound quality is better, but the volume is lower, which can be a little jarring if you're listening to multiple episodes.

Also, after publishing this I realized that I'd said many of the same things (but better) in episode 20:

http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/episode.php?id=20

Finally, the formatting of the transcript is a little goofier than usual. I'll fix that up a bit tomorrow.

Reinhard

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sophiasapientia
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Post by sophiasapientia » Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:24 pm

Hi Reinhard -- I just wanted to say thank you for the new podcast! I enjoy your podcasts, have found them very helpful and was so thrilled and surprised to see a new one pop up when I went out for my walk this morning. :D 8) :D

Thanks so much for all that you do,
Restarted No S (3rd times a charm!) January 2010 at 145 lbs

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Post by NoelFigart » Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:53 pm

Good one!

I liked the way you addressed some possible objections to the system.

The funny part is that if you do that 14 minutes a day every N day for a year, you get in a bit over 58 hours a year of exercise. If you do one of those body for life style programs and quit after the 12 weeks because you can't maintain 90 minutes of exercise six days a week, you've still gotten MORE exercise as 12 weeks of BFL is 54 hours of exercise.

Small consistencies are better, even on paper. Now if only I can learn to DO that, it'll be all good.
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My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

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HabitCal

Post by KareBear » Tue Apr 06, 2010 11:05 pm

Hi There. I just want to say thanks for your great web site and how much it helps me stay focused throughout the day. What I just discovered today is the HabitCal and I am so excited to start using this. All the encouragement I can get helps.

I have tried No S'ing about 4 times, and fall off every time. I have started over with the mentality to do it forever and if I mess up, just get right back to it. I also am working on being nicer to myself and celebrating small victories.

Thanks again for all you do.

Karen in Oregon :D
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:12 am

Reinhard, you need to have your own television program :D
Your voice is really great and you are the best and a genius!
What's not to love?
14 mins of anything is what I've tried to do for a while.. I'm sadly failing often this year, but this has given me an extra kick in the butt!
Thanks!
Have a nice week :)
8) Deb x
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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Post by wosnes » Sun Apr 18, 2010 3:48 pm

Someone else thinks shovelglove is a good idea:
http://www.liveitwithless.com/health-fi ... e-workout/

He just doesn't know he's shovelgloving!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by Sinnie » Mon Apr 26, 2010 6:22 pm

I just saw this podcast which is ironic, because I extended the 14 minute sledgehammer concept to exactly this! I thought I was the only one who did this with other exercise! It is AWESOME and I LOVE the idea. This is the only time in my life that I have stuck to an exercise program.

This is how it happened. I started doing pilates at work with a group of people right in our work building. That made exercise easy and kinda fun. But it was only 2 days a week, occasionally I had to miss it...and so I just started incorporating some moves into an independent workout I do by myself - and I'm actually doing it!!! I do things like pushups, running, other core-type moves. I'm even seeing the beginning formation of abs!

I would have never started doing it on my own for any length of time over that 14 minute mark. I tried a regime of jogging 3 km - and did it twice.

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Post by wosnes » Mon Jun 07, 2010 2:47 pm

When I saw the subject line of this post, a little lightbulb went off in my head.

As I've mentioned before, I'm on disability due to Congestive Heart Failure. It makes it difficult for me to accomplish things -- I just run out of steam. When I saw this post, I realized I could do things for 14 minutes and then stop. If I completed a task before the 14 minutes (I actually use 15 minutes), I can either stop or move on to something else that I can stop doing at the end of the 15 minute time limit.

Here's my general plan. Between 7-8AM I feed the animals, empty the dishwasher and take the dog for a walk. If I'm going to eat breakfast, it's usually done in this time period, too. It takes more than 15 minutes, but that's okay. Then every 2-3 hours I do something specific for 15 minutes. If what I need to do doesn't require much physical activity, I can do something for 15 minutes every hour. Between 7-8PM I clean the kitchen after dinner, take the dog for another walk, and run the dishwasher. Then, I'm done.

It's working pretty well for me.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by kccc » Tue Jun 15, 2010 3:54 pm

Belated commentary... loved it! I've been doing "14 (well, 15, but that's a detail) minutes of anything" for a while now and find it very useful. I hope when you migrate your website that Shovelglove will be a sub-set of 14 minutes of anything.

Another construct that I have generalized from No-S I call "Five of Seven" (which sounds like a Borg name from Star Trek, and I'm geeky enough to be amused by that). Basically, that's the target to which I hold myself accountable for any new habit - five days out of seven. I don't mandate whether they're "normal" days or weekends, because sometimes I can fit in exercise (or whatever) better ON the weekends. But the overall framework keeps me honest - if I miss a day through sheer laziness, I've cut into my grace period and will have to be highly accountable the rest of the week. Contemplating the choice to miss a day leads to the question "If not now, when?" and the answer is often "now is the best choice." But at the same time, when life blindsides me and I really truly can't fit it in, I haven't blown it.

I like making 7 of 7 days, of course, but "perfect goals" are a set-up for failure... I've learned that the hard way! Five of Seven is a GREAT balancer that combines accountability with flexibility.

(And if you want to take that for a future podcast, have at it. It's built off your No-S system.)

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Post by larisa0001 » Sun Jul 18, 2010 6:17 am

KCCC wrote:
Another construct that I have generalized from No-S I call "Five of Seven" (which sounds like a Borg name from Star Trek, and I'm geeky enough to be amused by that). Basically, that's the target to which I hold myself accountable for any new habit - five days out of seven. I don't mandate whether they're "normal" days or weekends, because sometimes I can fit in exercise (or whatever) better ON the weekends. But the overall framework keeps me honest - if I miss a day through sheer laziness, I've cut into my grace period and will have to be highly accountable the rest of the week. Contemplating the choice to miss a day leads to the question "If not now, when?" and the answer is often "now is the best choice." But at the same time, when life blindsides me and I really truly can't fit it in, I haven't blown it.
I've been doing that too (and also with flexible "days off"). This is what kept me on track with 2 hours a day of piano practice, despite a crazy job that consumes most of my waking hours (12-hour or 14-hour days are not uncommon). For that habit, I take one day off a week. If I'm having a "normal" week - i.e. I get home at 10pm or earlier - the day off is a weekend day, and I get to rest from both work and piano practice. If I'm having a crazy week, the day off from piano may be whenever it is that I'm most busy/exhausted.

The fact that I am supposed to take one day off - i.e. it's not a failure but rather part of the plan - makes it much easier to follow the plan.

LM

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Post by ericb » Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:51 pm

I listened to this podcast last week. I don't think I have ever thought of exercise this way before - even ShovelGlove I thought of as sets and reps. I have an ex phys degree and used to train people - so this is a little on the "shatter core assumptions" side of the aha world.

Since I enjoy a lot of different workout styles and have trouble deciding, this one is also GREAT fun. I had a Spider-man workout yesterday - lots of doing the on toes low squat pose (kinda like a Hindu squat), hanging upside down on my "web", doing bridges and imagining I actually did the backwards flips he always did when his Spider sense kicked in. No set/rep scheme meant a lot of variety and a little too much visualization. I had to walk away a little sad when the timer went off.

Today was farm day - I hoisted and shoveled and pounded my way to 14.
Tomorrow is Thor/He Man. I can't wait!!!!! I might have to do it outside in case I get too excited. :)

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Thank You!

Post by Aprilsparrow » Fri Feb 22, 2013 1:24 pm

Again, Thank You Thank You!! I appreciate all the time and effort you put into this program. I can do 14 min. of exercise. I can do this!! :)

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Mon Jun 29, 2015 6:26 pm

I totally 'get' the 14 mins idea - and love it. I also embrace the notion of doing these 14 mins of anything on N days. I work in care, and so often have to work weekends, but since getting into the S days, I am also realizing that making my S days into sort of 'rest' days is really beneficial for me - even if I'm working an S day. Life is so hectic - and making a habit out of easing up on S days seems like a really great Everyday System to me.

I have one question about this though - how do you deal with longer exercises like running and cycling, playing football etc, that kind of thing. Do you consider those to be outside of the 14-minutes of anything habit? :?:
I love Everyday Systems :3

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Post by Blithe Morning » Wed Dec 02, 2015 7:52 pm

Raw Cookie wrote: how do you deal with longer exercises like running and cycling, playing football etc, that kind of thing. Do you consider those to be outside of the 14-minutes of anything habit?
As a runner, this is how I answer that question.

Running is my hobby. So are hiking and kayaking. I do these things for fitness, yes, but they are my hobbies too. I spend money on them, I read about them, I socialize around them. They have additional functions in my life other than fitness.

So on days that I don't do any of these things, or even if I do, I still try for 14 minutes of fitness.

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Post by NoelFigart » Wed Dec 02, 2015 11:35 pm

Blithe Morning wrote:
Raw Cookie wrote: how do you deal with longer exercises like running and cycling, playing football etc, that kind of thing. Do you consider those to be outside of the 14-minutes of anything habit?
As a runner, this is how I answer that question.

Running is my hobby. So are hiking and kayaking.
Thank you for this. IT has solved a habit problem for me.
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Post by reinhard » Tue Dec 08, 2015 2:33 pm

Blithe -- thanks for articulating this so well! I too run a bit, primarily because I enjoy it (and despite the fact that I can't seem to to it consistently without injuring myself), rather than for fitness, which I've found is addressed quite adequately by shovelglove and urban ranger.

The only exception I make is during our summer vacations, when I both have more time to run, less access to my favorite 14 minute exercise device, and more excuse not to do anything at all. Then counting my "hobby" towards the daily 14 minutes is motivationally useful.

Reinhard

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I 2x the 7-minute workout. How perfect

Post by amomac » Sun Nov 26, 2017 4:12 pm

Hi guys,

I love that the 7-minute workout meets the 14 minute morning routine. Its maybe not the "BEST", but its something. And I think that's the MAIN point move that body, do full body exercises and make it easy.

LOVE the site and the guy.

-Momac
Antonius C Momac

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