Get Further With Less Effort

Earlier this year, I signed up for a series of gravel bike races with the intent to keep me motivated, build my community, and discover new rides. I’m three races in, and I’m making progress on all three goals. A big reason for this is because I have embraced a concept called the minimum effective dose. Essentially, it means doing the smallest amount of work needed to spark the results you want, and it can work in all areas of your life. 

Bike Racing In My 50’s

Cycling has been a big part of my life since I was in college. It’s something I do for fun and fitness, to spend time with my husband, and I even supported my son through his own races while he was in high school. A few weekends ago, I did the third of the five races I signed up for with an old friend. We used to ride together 25 years ago, but then I went on to start a family and riding took a back seat. My friend however, never stopped riding!

I came in third in the race, which floored me, because it was extremely challenging. It seemed like around every corner was yet another steep hill. My friend finished ahead of me (as usual). She said that she didn’t know how I manage to do these long rides with less miles of training than she does. I will probably increase my miles gradually, but for now, I know I’d end up exhausted and/or burnt out if I trained more. I hadn’t realized it until she brought it up, but I was employing the concept of the minimum effective dose. 

Minimal Effort Required

Okay, this theory isn’t about doing as little as possible. Rather, it is making small changes or efforts that add up over time. This can be life changing once you understand it! When you have a big goal you want to achieve, it can be common to work way harder than you need to. This leads to overwhelm, frustration, and even quitting. This old-school approach of “go big or go home” really isn’t necessary. 

In fact, your results will usually come faster when you stop overreaching and start getting super intentional. Here are a few examples of what the minimum effective dose looks like in real life:

• 20 to 30 minutes of strength training 2 to 3 days per week can meaningfully increase your muscle strength and metabolic health.
•  A 10 minute walk after meals can support digestion and blood sugar better than a long, stressful workout.
• Adding 20 to 30 grams of protein to your first meal of the day can steady your energy and reduce cravings all day.

None of these are extreme or take hours out of your week, yet they will help you see a measurable difference. 

Make It Work For You

I encourage you to try this concept and see where you can make a difference with your goals. Choose one area where you feel like you’ve been struggling and strip it down to the minimum effective dose (the simplest version that still gets you the results you want). For example:

• Instead of a 6-day workout plan → start with 3 days of short, focused, doable workouts…and invite a friend!
•  Instead of complicated meal prep → prep ONE thing:  protein, veggies or carbs.  It could just be raw veggies for a between-meal snack.
• Instead of reinventing your morning routine →  improve the first five minutes.
• Basically, instead of trying to fix everything at once → choose one habit that supports your biggest goal.

One of my favorite things about this approach is that it builds confidence… confidence builds consistency… and consistency builds results.