11 Things Hinge Health Members Do to Make Time for Exercise

No time for your Hinge Health playlist? We know that decreasing your pain is important to you but it can be hard to find time to exercise. That's why our Hinge Health coaches rounded up 11 tips to find time for your playlist.

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Our Hinge Health Experts

Maria Perez
Health coach at Hinge Health.
Maria Perez is a health coach at Hinge Health. She has three years of experience helping individuals live happier, healthier lives and has been a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness coach since 2021. She lives in Oregon with her partner and two Shepherd mixes.

If you struggle to find time to exercise, join the club. But despite everything you have going on, you signed up for Hinge Health because decreasing your pain is important to you. We know that time can be a huge barrier for people to start and stick with physical activity, so we designed our program around this.

Short and Sweet

We made our exercise therapy sessions (called playlists) short for a few reasons. Each one takes about 15 minutes.

First, when you’re forming a habit, small steps and simple changes work best.

Second, research shows you don’t have to exercise in huge chunks of time for it to be effective. A 2019 study on data from nearly 1,100 participants found that people reap similar benefits from multiple shorter periods of activity throughout the day as from a single, longer exercise session.

Third, because exercise can help improve energy levels and your playlists help reduce your pain, you may actually get more done in the day by establishing a consistent exercise routine.

Below are some tips that Hinge Health coaches recommend to members to successfully find time to do their playlists.

  1. Take inventory of your time. Just like budgeting money helps you prepare to buy the things you need, budgeting time helps you find room in your schedule for what matters. Keep a log of your daily activities (don’t forget weekends!) from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep. Look at the list and ask yourself: Where can I set aside 15 minutes, three days a week?

  2. Start small. A new routine can be overwhelming, and there’s nothing wrong with starting small. Pick one or two stretches at a time and increase that to three or four the following week, working your way up to completing a full playlist.

  3. Set multiple reminders. Reminders are a great feature in your app, but it can be easy to ignore a text or push notification during a busy day. If that sounds familiar, set up a backup reminder, such as an alarm on your phone, which has a snooze option. If you can’t stop what you're doing right away, the alarm will go off again a few minutes later, making it easier for you to remember. P.S.: Not sure how to set reminders in the Hinge Health app? Click on “Account” then “Reminders” and set up which days and times you want to be pinged.

  4. Double up. Multitasking can be a lifesaver when life gets hectic. Do your playlist while dinner is in the oven or while you watch TV.

  5. Rise, shine, and get it done. Exercising first thing in the morning removes barriers that can unexpectedly crop up during the day. Consider waking up 15 minutes earlier than usual for a few days to see if this new routine could work for you.

  6. Keep your kit in plain sight. Having the Hinge Health tablet and sensors visible can be a helpful nudge to do your exercise routine. Keep your tablet on your nightstand if you do your exercises before bed or on your desk if you exercise during your work day.

  7. Be prepared. Keep your tablet and sensors charged so that they’re ready to go.

  8. Get the app. If you haven’t already, download the Hinge Health app on your phone as a backup plan if you’re away from your tablet or it’s not charged. The app can be used with and without sensors.

  9. Do what you can. While we recommend at least three sessions each week, that may not be realistic for you and that’s okay. Ask yourself, What do I have time for? Even one session a week has benefits. Taking action will help you build up momentum toward a regular routine.

  10. Split it up. A full playlist includes a series of exercises plus an educational article. If you are crunched for time, you can do your exercises first and save your article for later in the day. You can always review the article again in the Library tab in your app.

  11. Reach out to your health coach. Hinge Health coaches are trained in helping you accomplish your goals. We can talk through your plan of action and help when barriers arise. We are just a text message away.

References

  • Murphy, M. H., Lahard, I., Carlin, A., & Murtagh, E. (2019). The Effects of Continuous Compared to Accumulated Exercise on Health: A Meta-Analytic Review. Sports Medicine, 49(10), 1585-1607. doi: 10.1007/s40279-019-01145-2

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