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I am in the 30's and I admit to be very sedentary. Worse of all, with a hectic work schedule, a family with small kids it is very difficult (or impossible?) to find the time for a proper exercising without a complete life revolution, which is not possible now.

Still, I think that doing absolutely zero physical exercise is not good and will be worse the more time I let pass.

So I started thinking about doing at least something, in the only moment that I can think of: in the early morning, when everybody else is still sleeping. So ideally (?) I would get up at 6 am, do .. something? for some time, then begin the normal day (and, like the internet meme goes, profit!).

The question is: is this meaningful at all? can it really provide me with some health benefits? And what would be the magical "something" that I could do by myself in the living room without waking up wife and babies? I am thinking about some calisthenics but maybe I am so completely off that I don't even notice it.

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  • This is my first question on the site. I have searched but didn't find duplicates. Please tell me if I missed them, or if I need to add further details. And thanks for your advices :-)
    – Francesco
    Sep 15, 2013 at 7:44

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Some exercise is indeed better than no exercise. Calisthenics would be a fine choice, as would yoga, dumbbell work, running, or some combination of those options. Anything is better than nothing.

If you have half an hour, then twenty minutes of yoga to limber up before doing a bunch of push-ups, air squats, and pull-ups would probably hit the spot. If you have or acquire a pair of twenty-five (or more) pound dumbbells, you could use them for the squats as well as renegade rows, overhead presses, cleans and so on.

If you have fifteen minutes instead of thirty, then five minutes of yoga and ten minutes of calisthenics or dumbbell work would be great.

If you have five minutes, then a quick jog around the house followed by a set of push-ups and pull-ups would be quick and productive.

Working out every morning, or most mornings, or half the mornings, is enormously beneficial, especially compared to doing nothing.

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  • thanks a lot @Dave, that was my reasoning: even a little exercising (I'd say that 15 is realistic, then the normal daily routine will begin) is a large increase, from zero. Thanks for the suggestions. I am reading "yoga" as "stretching" but maybe I am reading wrong. Do you feel that I should ask a more specific question for details about the routine?
    – Francesco
    Sep 15, 2013 at 8:01
  • If you don't have a background in yoga then I'd just stretch for two or three minutes, yes. Do the first exercises gently and work up to more intensity. If you want more specifics on a routine then you need to be more specific about what you want and what you have. But it doesn't sound like that's necessary. The important thing is to start working out. The next most important thing is to keep working out. Then, once you have the habit, you can worry about making it perfect.
    – Dave Liepmann
    Sep 15, 2013 at 8:23
  • No, I don't have any background in yoga. I did calisthenics for the last time in high school, some 12-15 years ago (I feel old, now :-) ). Ok, I will try to find out a possible set of exercises looking around the site. I think that it is important, for a sedendary person like me, to have a precise schedule to follow, otherwise I will cut it short.
    – Francesco
    Sep 15, 2013 at 8:42
  • If you're really out of shape, it might help to post a question like "I can do touch my knees but not my toes, and do three push-ups on my knees but not full push-ups, what exercises should I use for a brief calisthenic workout in the morning?"
    – Dave Liepmann
    Sep 15, 2013 at 8:50
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    I followed your advice, here's the question fitness.stackexchange.com/q/13942/6756
    – Francesco
    Sep 15, 2013 at 9:19

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