Why “More for Less” Doesn’t Work in Fitness — and What Actually Does

We all want more for less. We want efficiency. We want to excel at our craft. Most of us understand that if you want something, you have to work for it—a value taught early and reinforced throughout life.

Yet in the fitness, healthcare, and nutrition worlds, many people continue searching for the quick fix.

The Reality: Small Amounts of Exercise Make a Big Difference

A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) found that individuals who exercised just 10 to 59 minutes per week had an 18% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who were sedentary.

Let that sink in:
Even 10 minutes of weekly exercise can meaningfully impact your health.

One of the most common excuses for not exercising is a lack of time. But you don’t need hours in the gym to experience benefits. Start small. Build gradually. Consistency is far more important than intensity.

The Problem With Quick Fix Culture

How many diet trends promise six-pack abs in four weeks?
How many magazine headlines claim you can get buff with a simple 7-minute routine?

Somewhere along the way, we’ve drifted away from the basic truth that success takes time. There’s a reason the cliché exists:

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

The body is a complex system that adapts to stress gradually. In fact, most credible sources agree that muscle hypertrophy (muscle growth) takes 6–8 weeks to show detectable change—even under ideal training conditions.

The Solution: A Sustainable Approach

The most effective long-term strategy is simple:
Make small, realistic, sustainable changes.

Unrealistic goals—like losing 20 pounds in a month or getting a six-pack by summer—set you up for repeated failure.

Instead:

• Eat a little better.

• Exercise a little more often.

• Move a little more throughout your day.

• Progress gradually once the habits stick.

Small wins compound into big results. Sustainable change beats short-term intensity every single time.

How many diet trends promise 6-pack abs in 4 weeks? How many magazine headlines read “Get buff with this simple 7 minute routine every day”? Somewhere along the way we lost the basic understanding that success takes time, patience, and dedication. There is a reason for the cliche’ “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Talk to any expert in any of the aforementioned fields and they will agree. The body is a complex organism that responds to stress over time. Most resources concede that muscle hypertrophy (growth) takes 6-8 weeks to show detectable change..

The solution is to take a sustainable approach to making positive changes. Start small and set realistic goals. Unrealistic goals like losing 20 pounds in a month, or getting that six pack before summer will ensure continued failure. Strive to eat a little better, workout a little more frequently, and get off the couch a few more times a day. Once you achieve these goals, progress them over time.

A recent article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) showed that, when compared to sedentary individuals, subjects that exercised between 10 minutes and 59 minutes a week had an 18% less risk of all-cause mortality. We often blame the lack of time for our lack of fitness. You don’t have to workout for hours a day to achieve some health benefits, and feel better. Start small, and build upon your progress.

Reference

“Beneficial associations of low and large doses of leisure time physical activity with all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality: a national cohort study of 88,140 US adults” BJSM