No time to exercise? What still works on a busy day

Why is there no time to exercise, really?

For many people the day really is full: work, commuting, children, the house, parents. Exercise ends up last because it feels like a big project: kit, getting to the gym, a free hour, a shower. When you don't have an hour, you give up altogether.

That's the trap. Movement doesn't have to be a big project to count. In its 2020 guidelines, the World Health Organization dropped the requirement for activity to come in bouts of at least 10 minutes and says plainly that any movement is better than none.

How much movement do you need?

The WHO recommends 150–300 minutes a week of moderate activity for adults, such as brisk walking, plus strength exercises twice a week. It sounds like a lot, but it comes to about 20–40 minutes a day in total.

Steps count too. An analysis published in The Lancet Public Health in 2022, covering more than 47,000 adults, found the biggest gain in people who went from few steps to a few more: from 3,500 to nearly 6,000 steps a day.

Where do you find 10 minutes in a full day?

When	What you do	Minutes
After lunch	a walk around the building	10
The commute	get off a stop early or park further away	5–10
Work calls	take them standing up, walking	5–15
With the children	the park, cycling, a walk after school	15–30
At home, in the evening	a short strength circuit while the kettle boils	5–10
At the weekend	a longer walk with the family	30–60

Don't do all of them. Pick two you can repeat almost every day and keep them for two weeks.

What do you do in very busy weeks?

• Lower the bar, don't give up. Instead of 30 minutes, do 10. The habit stays alive.
• Tie movement to something fixed. "After lunch, 10 minutes outside" is easier to keep than "I'll exercise when I have time".
• Move with someone. A walk with a friend or your partner is easier to keep up.
• Put it in your calendar like a meeting.

What does a full day with movement in it look like?

An example, for someone who works eight hours in an office and has children at home:

When	Movement	Minutes
Morning	walk to the stop, or to the next one	10
At the office	stairs instead of the lift, calls standing up	5
After lunch	a short walk	10
Evening	playing outside with the children or a walk after dinner	15

In total, about 40 minutes, with no gym and no separate time. Five days a week makes 200 minutes, above the WHO minimum of 150.

Not every day will look like this, and it doesn't have to. If you manage two of the four moments, you've still done more than on the day you waited for "a free hour".

What if you work shifts or from home?

On shifts, tie movement to the start or end of your shift rather than to a time of day: ten minutes of walking before you go in or after you come out. At home, set an alarm every hour and get up for a few minutes: a lap around the flat, a few squats, a stretch. And go out at least once a day, even if it's just to the shop.

How does MentorSano help when you have no time to exercise?

• Your daily to-do gives you one small movement step, matched to what you said about your schedule in the questionnaire. You tick it off when it's done.
• The weekly challenge is a small target you do together with others on the Journey.
• Steps in your journal sit next to sleep and energy, so you see for yourself what an extra walk changes.
• With the subscription you get a movement plan that fits your life, checked by an expert and linked to your sleep, meals and tests.

It all starts for free: create your free MentorSano account, fill in the questionnaire and get your first movement step, sized to your day.

Why is even a little worth it?

Movement helps with sleep, stress, blood sugar and blood pressure, and the effects start quickly. Many people sleep better and have more energy after a few weeks of short daily walks. You don't have to become sporty. You just have to move a little more than you do now.