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As we get busier and busier, exercise is unfortunately one of the first things that we compromise
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on.
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I'm here to show you that it should be the last thing to compromise and how you can manage
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to exercise every day even when you are super busy.
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What's going on guys!
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Dr. J from MedSchoolInsider.com.
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If you didn't know, the vlogs are back.
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Check out our new channel, Life of a Surgeon, link in the description below.
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This video is not about why you should exercise or the variety of health and cognitive benefits.
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To learn more about those, check out my video on how exercise makes you smarter.
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I am proof that this stuff really works.
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I recently did a 30 day fitness challenge on Instagram where I exercise daily throughout
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the month of August while in residency.
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I'll show you how you can do the same.
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Without further ado, let's get to it.
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First, balance routine vs. Flexibility.
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We are creatures of habits and routines are incredibly powerful as they take out the thought
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and automate our behaviors.
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As much as I love routines, I have learned since starting my plastic surgery residency
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that flexibility is also greatly important.
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You see, in residency, most days I go in around 5:00 a.m.
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And I don't get out until about 6 or 7 p.m.
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However, there are days where we start later and get out earlier or days where we start
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earlier and get out later.
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If I was too focused on maintaining a routine, I would never work out since my hours are
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often unpredictable and I wouldn't be able to work out the same time every day.
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I have since learned that being flexible with the time I have is of utmost importance.
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If I start a day late or get out early, then I capitalize on the opportunity and go to
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the gym at that time.
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So, how should you implement this?
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Your schedule will also likely change throughout your college or medical school career.
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When your schedule is more predictable, then lean on routines to automate your exercise.
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When your schedule is unpredictable as it often is during residency, then lean more
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heavily on flexibility and remind yourself to seize the moment anytime you have the opportunity
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to exercise.
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Next, kill two birds with one stone.
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If there are alternatives that incorporate activity, then you should opt for those.
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For example, no matter what, you have to go to school or to work, so why not opt for an
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active means of transportation?
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My personal favorite is cycling.
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By riding my bike, I get my much-needed cardio which I hate doing at the gym and I even save
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time on my commute since driving during rush hour sucks.
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You can do the same by riding your bike or opt for walking, skateboarding, longboarding,
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scootering etc.
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Instead of waiting for the elevator, why not opt for the stairs.
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This is another excellent way to get brief bursts of activity without compromising your
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time.
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If you love watching Game of Thrones every week, get your yoga mat and foam roller out
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and do some stretching, ab work or yoga rather than just sitting on the couch.
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Lastly, use your study breaks as times for brief moments of exercise.
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It doesn't have to be a one-hour gym session, you can do planks, pull-ups or even yoga in
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just a few minutes during your Pomodoro break sessions.
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Number 3: use the scientific process behind behavior change.
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In exercising regularly, half of it is creating the time in your schedule and the other half
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is properly incentivizing yourself so that you actually want to do it.
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I made a video summarizing an excellent book by Dr. Sean Young on how to change your behaviors.
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This goes over various tools to make a desired behavior such as exercising regularly easy
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to implement and maintain.
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Link to the video is in the description below.
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Next, I would like to introduce Ethan Jose from EJ fitness.
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He is a second year medical student with his own channel on medicine and fitness.
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Thanks Dr. J, I'm happy to be on the Med School Insiders channel.
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So the fourth tip that I have for you all is to prioritize your exercise sessions over
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unproductive tasks.
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We're all busy doing a variety of tasks throughout the day but we have to constantly ask ourselves
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how important each task is and whether or not is getting us closer to our goals.
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We often waste a lot of time scrolling through social media apps, watching TV or playing
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video games.
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Unless these activities align with our aspiration and goals, these activities are most likely
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not making a meaningful contribution to our lives.
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So, in order for us to exercise regularly, we should prioritize our exercise sessions
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over these unproductive tasks.
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So, why should exercise even take precedence over these leisurely activities?
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Exercise not only benefits your health and mental well-being, but it allows you to stay
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focused on your daily tasks.
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An increased focus leads to increased productivity which ultimately leads to you reaching your
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goals faster.
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The fifth and final tip that I have for you all is to find something that you enjoy.
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One of the most reliable ways to ensure you exercise regularly is truly enjoying your
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exercise.
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This will vary from person to person, whether you love running, weight training, hit training,
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cycling, pilates or even yoga.
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And while there are advantages to each type of physical activity, any type of physical
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activity is better than no physical activity.
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So it's important that we are realistic with ourselves.
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Relying on discipline is often necessary when it comes to exercise, but you can make regular
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exercise much easier by choosing a form of exercise that makes you happy and fit your
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lifestyle and personality.
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If you don't have a favorite yet, don't be afraid to experiment with different activities.
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It also bears noting that you may enjoy a certain activity more by exercising with friends
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or a group of people, or you might prefer working out by yourself.
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Let us know what you guys prefer down in the comments below.
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Thank You Ethan for the words of wisdom.
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Again, you can find more of his work on EJ fitness, link to his channel down in the description
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below.
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As many of you know, I'm a big fan of efficiency and what better way to be efficient than to
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learn something while you exercise?
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Audible makes that easy.
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Want to get more books into your life?
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I know a lot of you want to read more but have difficulty making time.
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With Audible, you can easily get through books while performing other tasks like working
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out or while you're commuting to or from work.
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I personally have been listening to seven Habits of Highly Effective People while stretching.
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It's easy to turn your mundane commute whether you drive or ride your bike into a productive
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and enlightening opportunity.
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Audible selection of audiobooks is unmatched anywhere.
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Get started today, ride with Audible, go to Audible.com/MedSchoolInsiders or click the
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link below to get an exclusive 30 day free trial and a book of your choice for free.
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Special shout-out to my patreon supporters who make videos like these possible.
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Thank you all so much for watching.
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If you liked the video, make sure you press that like button.
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Hit subscribe if you have not already and I will see you guys in that next one!