Firstly readers, let’s pretend it’s December 1 (for some readers, it might still be). Today starts the +1 walking challenge. Here’s how it works
1. Start by waking up a few minutes earlier than usual (I went for 5 minutes earlier than usual), and do a short walk (I figured I could fit in 15 minutes and not be late for work).
2. Tomorrow, walk up one minute earlier than yesterday.
3. Repeat, for 31 days.
Seems simple right? And it is. All you have to do is walk one minute longer each day. If you start with 15 minutes on the first day, by the end of the challenge you’ll have walked 7.5 hours!! Not only that, you’ll feel healthier, which isn’t a bad thing.
For those in the southern hemisphere, December is a great month to work on waking up earlier because we’ve not yet hit the equinox on Dec 22 – which means every morning until then, there’s more minutes of sunshine for you to enjoy. So it won’t get progressively darker each morning you wake up. (Sorry to those in the northern hemisphere!)
I actually read a great study that showed that when comparing two groups, those that exercised daily, even when they took a few days off, still burnt more calories on a high calorie diet than the control group. What this is saying, is that starting healthy, regular exercise habits will help you even when you take a break to eat Thanksgiving turkey (more on mine tomorrow) or Christmas ham. Sounds just ideal, right?
Who’d like to join me? I’m looking to have some partners in crime to help encourage and support the good, the bad, and the ugly of my attempts to do more exercise. I’ll even offer some loopholes:
– you can walk any old time on your days off. Look at that, I haven’t done away with sleep ins 🙂
– you can bank some time from those days off, for mornings (or evenings) where the 1 minute extension just seems like the straw that will break the camel’s back.
Basically, be nice to yourself! Try to get more and more minutes in each day, but don’t worry if life gets in the way. Tomorrow is a new day.
I’ll be using this blog to check in weekly with my progress, and share my stats from Runkeeper. I did actually start this Monday week ago, and so far I’ve not missed a day.,
So who’s in? Who’d like to cheer me along?
I'm impressed by your speed on the run that you posted! Our mornings are as black as night just now, so I'll be continuing my indoor workouts. (It gets light about 7 am). I like your concept and I'll modify it for myself by tracking how many days I actually walk to and from work versus taking the car!
It was some running, and some walking, but it does look good (I had to use that run, as it was the only one this week that didn't reveal where I lived :p). Maybe running toward food is the incentive I need – I met the BF at a great burger place 🙂
I didn't think the challenge would work so well in your half of the world, but you continue to workout nonetheless, so that's impressive! It's nice to try and get a chain of activities, you get a little motivation from not wanting to 'break the chain'!
I'm definitely in, Sarah! Though I may have to 'bend' the rules and walk in the afternoons. My son wakes at the slightest creak on the stairs – trust me, tired kids who have been up since 5:30am are a trial! I'll start with mornings though and give it a go!
Great to have you on board! It's ok to do evenings, i just know I'd end up making more excuses in the evening, so I went for the morning. OK, I can't let you down now! 🙂
Love my walks. Don't always get to do one because of work commitments. I will cheer you from the sidelines.
Just did a 55 min walk today, as was able to duck off from work early. Feels so good. 4pm is a lovely time to hear different birds in my area.
Thank you for the sidelines cheering – I am impressed by your lengthy walks! No echidnas this time?
No, no echidnas. I found the tree and rock he was under yesterday. But no sight nor sound of a snuffling, spiney creature.
I should probably do shorter walks and do more weights, at least my exercise ise physiologist says so. But I find the walks relaxing.
Weights are a little harder to add into life… I do enjoy the Body Pump class they run at the gym but there's not enough use joining for one class!
Love this idea! I already get up at 5:30 for work and it's too cold (and dark) for me to get up earlier . . but a nice morning walk will be good for me on the weekends and I'll try to fit it in after work during the week 🙂
Great Amanda, I look forward to having another person on the team. Adaptions are fine, I can't handle the early mornings on my few days of sleep in – almost the opposite to you.
It has been really cold out, and I hate to use the weather as an excuse, but it doesn't give me any extra motivation to get outside. Even when I bundle up I find my legs are going numb. I'd like to start walking during my breaks at work, we'll see how that goes. This is a great way to fit in exercise, though!
I understand EM – I have no idea what I'll do when it's a rainy day, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I'm not sure I've ever had numb legs, how strange. Let me know if you try the lunchtime walks and how they go for you?