Hannah McKimm
One of the biggest barriers to exercise is the belief that we need more time.
Somewhere along the way, many of us have come to believe that a workout only "counts" if it lasts an hour, leaves us exhausted or pushes us to our limit. But the reality is that some of the biggest benefits of exercise have very little to do with how long you spend doing it.
Whether you're trying to build strength, improve your health, reduce stress or simply feel better in your body, 20 minutes of purposeful movement can go a long way.
Here are some of the reasons why.
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Habit forming
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Doing what’s good for you has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with habit. A 20 minute class feels doable, so you’re much more likely to at least give it a go, even if you don’t get through the whole thing. The daily reinforcement is what turns exercising from something you have to think about doing to something you just do (like showering or brushing your teeth).
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Physical changes
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When done right, a 20 minute class is more than enough to create physical change. There needs to be thought put into the exercises and dosage, but whether you’re looking to build muscle, challenge your cardiovascular system, improve your flexibility or change your posture, this can all be done within 20 minutes.
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Neuromuscular control
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One of the biggest benefits of Pilates is improved neuromuscular control. This is how your brain communicates with your body and it’s how you learn to move in ways that cause less aches, pains and injuries. Neuromuscular control is like a skill, so it takes repetition rather than overly intense workouts.
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Mental health
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In the short term, exercise triggers the release of endorphins and other feel-good chemicals that can help reduce stress and improve mood. Plus, over time, regular movement can improve sleep, build confidence, help regulate your stress response and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression - win!
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The trickle on effect
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The benefits of a little movement continue on well after the workout ends. When you’re moving regularly, you’re often more likely to prioritise sleep, make better food choices, drink more water and generally take better care of yourself.
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Injury prevention
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Many injuries are a result of the repetitive way we live our lives. So doing a smaller workout often is a more effective way to interrupt this monotony than a longer workout less often. Breaking the autopilot way we move is the best way to change a pattern and offload tissue that is getting sore.
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Energy, motivation, productivity
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Exercise wakes your brain up just as much as your body. By delivering more oxygen to your brain and acting as a circuit breaker, a short workout helps you to focus better and get more done. There’s also the longer term benefit of improving your sleep quality (although your toddler may have other ideas).
In a world that constantly tells us to do more, it's easy to underestimate the power of doing something small consistently.
The truth is that movement doesn't need to be long, intense or complicated to be effective. Twenty minutes is enough to build strength, improve your mood, create healthy habits and support your long-term health.
So if you're short on time, don't let that stop you from moving altogether. A 20-minute workout may seem small in the moment, but those small efforts add up quickly.
And often, it's the workouts we can fit into real life that end up making the biggest difference.