The Power of Simple Consistency, Two Years of Morning Pushups and Squats

By Roy Rolstad

Published on itfradix.com

The Beginning of a Simple Challenge

Sometimes the smallest actions create the biggest changes.

More than two years ago, my good friend, Grandmaster Henrik Hunstad, gave me a simple challenge:

“Do 10 pushups and 10 air squats every morning for 30 days.”

It didn’t sound difficult. In fact, it seemed too easy to matter. But that was the point. The goal was to build a habit, not to break records. It was about showing up for yourself every single morning, before the world starts demanding your attention.

So I started. Ten pushups. Ten deep squats. Every morning, right after getting out of bed. No matter where I was, how tired I felt, or how busy the day looked ahead. Just a few minutes of movement, repeated every day.

What began as a 30-day challenge quickly turned into something more meaningful.

From a Challenge to a Morning Ritual

After a month, it stopped feeling like a challenge. It had become part of my morning routine, as natural as brushing my teeth.

After six months, I increased to 20 pushups and 20 squats.

After a year, I went up to 30 of each.

Now, more than two years later, I still start every morning the same way. It doesn’t matter if I’m at home, in a hotel, or on the road teaching seminars. It’s my way of greeting the day with movement, focus, and intent.

This daily ritual has become a reminder that consistency is far more powerful than motivation.

The Physical Effects

Performing pushups and deep squats each morning provides a balanced, full-body activation. Pushups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Squats engage the legs, hips, and glutes, while also improving posture and stability. Together they create a foundation for functional strength.

A short routine like this also helps wake up the circulatory system. The blood flow increases, heart rate rises slightly, and oxygen delivery to the muscles and brain improves. The result is a natural energy boost that can last throughout the morning.

Deep squats are particularly effective for maintaining mobility and joint health. Regular full-range movement keeps the hips, knees, and ankles supple, reducing stiffness and improving balance. Pushups, on the other hand, support shoulder stability and core control.

The combination of these two exercises keeps the body strong, mobile, and ready for the day’s challenges without the need for equipment or long workouts.

The Mental and Emotional Effects

The mental benefits of a daily practice like this are equally significant. Beginning the day with a clear and simple task trains the mind as much as the body. It builds discipline, focus, and a sense of control.

Starting the morning with movement sets the tone for the rest of the day. It replaces hesitation with momentum and creates a small but powerful feeling of accomplishment. Over time, this consistency shapes identity. You stop thinking about whether or not to do it, you simply are someone who moves every morning.

This kind of small, daily discipline is deeply connected to the martial arts mindset. In Taekwon-Do, repetition and consistency are the foundation of progress. The same principle applies here. Growth doesn’t come from occasional bursts of effort, but from quiet, repeated actions that align with your values.

The Power of Simplicity

Many people believe they need complex routines or long workouts to see results, but the truth is that sustainable habits begin small. Ten pushups and ten squats don’t look like much, but over time they create physical strength, mental clarity, and a reliable morning rhythm.

The real lesson of this routine is not the number of repetitions, but the commitment to consistency. It shows that when you take control of the first minutes of your day, you take control of your direction.

Grandmaster Hunstad’s simple 30-day challenge became a long-term practice that continues to remind me of the value of simplicity.

If you want to begin your own version of this habit, start small. Ten pushups. Ten squats. Do it tomorrow morning, and the next morning, and the one after that. See what happens when you make consistency the goal instead of intensity.

You might find that it changes far more than your mornings.

By Roy Rolstad

Founder of ITF Radix

This image is from “the free training” routine in Oslo East Taekwon-Do club.

After the formal training, everyone who want can join the circle to do as many pushups you can.

This was initiated by one of our blackbelts, Vidar Oskarsen, and is now a living routine after the red and black -belt classes in our club.

Another excellent example of how to establish a routine and habit. This time as a group, after the motivation of one initiator.