Welcome to May. Is it just me, or was April the longest month in history? As we are all adjusting to this new normal, the start of a new month is a prime opportunity to set new goals.
If you weren't as active in April as usual, allow yourself some grace. With the gyms closed, unpredictable weather, and the end of any semblance of routine, it's perfectly acceptable to take some time to readjust mentally and physically.
Take as long as you need, because adding additional mental stress because you can't lift heavy weights, or join your usual class isn't productive. As always, do what you can, when you can, with what you have available—perfect routines not required for success.
#Everydayinmay Challenge
Instead, set realistic, reasonable goals that work within your new lifestyle. If you want to become a bit more active this month, I've created this #everydayinmay challenge to help you stay motivated to move. The idea is to move your body for at least 30 minutes every day in May.
The key to success is to mix high-intensity and low-intensity exercises throughout the month. Thirty minutes of movement might be a walk around a local park or your neighborhood, a leisurely bike ride, or a Zoom Yoga class.
It may be a run or lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises in your living room.
If you don't have a spare 30 minutes a day, how about breaking it up to a 10-minute walk in the morning, 10 minutes of bodyweight or dumbbell exercises in your living room at lunch, and 10 minutes of stretching before bed? It doesn't have to be all at once to count or to be effective.
All or nothing usually leads to nothing, choosing to do something, even if it isn't perfect or even ideal is always better than nothing.
Jumping is cardio!
WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS NOT
It's not a challenge to run a 5K every day, as that would be too hard on most people's bodies without adequate rest. It's not a challenge to do 100s of pushups or squats every day either.
Doing the same exercises every single day without rest can be more harmful than helpful.
I am not usually a fan of 30 days of exercises that challenge you to do the same workout or movement every day for 30 days, like squat or pushup challenges. Why? Because these challenges seem to forget that we don't get stronger, faster, or improve our fitness during the exercise, we progress in the rest period following. If we don't rest, we don't improve.
Doing the same exercises every day, such as pushups, can lead to injuries. If you are only working the muscles on the front side of your body with pushups, your muscles will become imbalanced if you are not also strengthening your back. If you push, you must pull to balance.
I often participate in short-term run streaks, where I run at least a mile a day, but even a run streak can be detrimental for runners without the experience with a lot of mileage. A sharp increase in mileage volume can lead to injuries, burnout, and overtraining. If your tendons, joints, and ligaments have not adapted yet to the number of miles, you're running into potential damage. If you don’t rest, your body can’t recover.
It's always acceptable to start small and build over time, no matter what your friends on Instagram are doing. Mixing running with walking throughout the week is usually the safest strategy for most people.
No extreme measure required for success!
CHOOSE ACTIVITIES THAT YOU ENJOY
I suggest you find some activities that you enjoy, then work them into your day for 30 minutes a day, each day. Be sure to include plenty of low-intensity restorative exercises like walking and stretching.
Ideas for 31 days of intentional movement for 30 minutes a day
walking
bicycling
bodyweight exercises
online classes/Youtube classes/Zoom workouts
Yoga
stretching
skating
dancing
What else? Tell me your ideas in the comments or on Instagram
HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED
Thirty-one days is a long time. Worried about staying motivated to keep going all of that time?
Motivation comes with action. Move first, get motivated next.
Promise yourself at least the first 10 minutes, even if it just a walk. Once you get started, you'll likely feel inclined to finish. The beginning is often the hardest part.
Print out a calendar and hang it on your fridge. Mark at X on each day that you complete 30 minutes of activity. Keep the streak going. Once you start marking off those boxes, the visual reminder will help you to keep going.
Share online! Use hashtag #everydayinmay. Tag me on Instagram @leagendersfitness so that I can cheer you on.
Get your friends or family involved, start a friendly competition. Sometimes we feel more obligated to other people than we do ourselves, so make a pact with an online buddy to complete the challenge together.
motivation can come virtually. https://fitnana.com/ in Virginia giving a virtual high-five.
WHAT IF I MISS A DAY IN THE CHALLENGE?
So what. Keep going. If you miss a day, tack an extra day at the end of the month and keep going. You'll get better results with one missed day over a whole month than you will if you quit after ten days because you got too busy one day.
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS RECAP
Choose the activities that you enjoy.
Mix high-intensity and low-intensity exercises to allow your body the recovery it needs.
Break it up into smaller segments if necessary.
Mark an X on the calendar for each day you complete.
Share your success on social media with #Everydayinmay.
Recruit friends, family, or online friends to join you virtually.
Listen to your body; honor the feedback that it provides. Switch to low-intensity exercises if it ever feels like too much.
What happens after 30 days?
You keep going! The beautiful thing about a movement challenge is that it ingrains healthy habits in your brain.
Once you get used to intentional movement every day, it becomes part of your lifestyle, something you do because it's a regular part of your life. It ceases to feel like a struggle or an obligation. You may find in the future; it is harder to miss a day than it is to keep going!
Ready to start the month with some healthy habits? Join me #everydayinmay.
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Questions? I’d love to help.
