30 Day Exercise Challenges?
Has anyone done any of these 30 day exercise challenges? If so, how was it?
I bought gym equipment again. The teenage boys who lived next door to us in Spain really wanted all my equipment, so I gave it to them when we left, leaving me with nothing. (It never crossed my mind that I might not stay naturally thin for ever and ever.) Fortunately these things are cheap these days. I lost 1.5 kg over the weekend- and I want to kickstart myself back into action. Still doing the steps every day, all 125 of them. It’s been much easier in the past couple of days. I know it’s psychological rather than real, but anyway, in my head I look different. And it’s for psychological reasons that I want to do one of these 30 day things. Nothing motivates more than results one can actually see.
My Mazamet 
As the lack of motivation is the primary reason why I’ve always failed at an exercise regimen, I wonder if there’s online groups one can connect to who would help. Like a 7 AM UTC 0 Exercise Motivator Group. At 7 AM, an alarm on your phone rings and you connect to hundreds of other people all getting started for 10 or 20 or 50 minutes of exercise.
And Siri or Alexa or some AI agent runs it.
Knowing others are there, with you, struggling and persevering — I wonder if that might not help with the motivation.
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I’m sure there must be something like that!
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Buying gym equipment is very important. Otherwise the bare spaces in our storage rooms and garages would have nothing to break their monotony. (In the US gym equipment is the equivalent of garage decorative items.) ;o)
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I’m sure that’s a worldwide phenomena 😀
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lmao – I have a stationary bike that is really handy for air drying the animals’ bedding. 😀
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The only exercise equipment I use is my bike (far too rarely to make any difference but I swear I intend to use it more this Autumn), or my legs when going for a walk. Press ups? No no no no, I don’t have the shape or the strength. I did buy a rather expensive piece of equipment a few years ago, called an ijoy ride,( it’s supposed to be like riding a horse, and strengthens core muscles) which is actually effective when I remember to use it, but mostly it’s buried under the ironing mountain in the spare bedroom.
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The only exercise regimen that has ever worked for me is lifestyle, meaning one incorporates specific workouts into a daily or weekly routine. It doesn’t take long until skipping a workout or activity makes one feel less well and so the motivation to continue is as natural as, say, eating. I do it because it makes me feel good. I loathe workout machines because they’re so boring compared to being outside and experiencing the community – the landscape and people and seasons and critters – up close and personal while grooming this connection to where one lives.
Also, relying on other people to exercise with I find far too troublesome. But I know many people need this. I don’t want to schedule my day to suit the convenience of others but like to get done whatever kind of exercising I’m doing that day to suit me and my schedule. One can then adjust the exercising to one’s self, how one is feeling, and the weather.
The favourable results may seem to be slower in coming with this kind of cross training, but they are permanent and, as I said, makes one feel good not just because one can be able to do whatever physically but I think helps give me time to ponder and mull, to plan and consider alternatives, settle my emotions and allow me to balance whatever’s going on with an overall sense of well being. Yes, I achieve results but more importantly it’s never arduous.
Anyway, just my thoughts.
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Daily action is more important than buying equipment. Buying equipment often feels like an achievement by itself even if the equipment is never used.
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If you are fit enough to do 45 push ups on day one after a sedentary lifestyle then good luck to you! There was no way I could manage that many.
I would start with 10, (two or three sets with a rest in between each set and stay with this for a while and work up gradually.
And if you struggle and force it, believe me you will only hurt yourself, and then you are back to square one. The single biggest deterrent is lack of motivation because of injury through overuse.
However, using one’s own body mass as resistance for exercise is far easier and cheaper than gym equipment – and less likely to be confined to the garage after a while as Steve points out. And stats will show you this usually happens.
Walk/Run for life are an organisation that was established out here to get people ”up and running”.
There are branches in a few English speaking countries.
Maybe there is something similar where you live?
Press ups and Planking will help muscle tone ( I would avoid sit ups and curls unless you do so under supervision or you might hurt your back). But sustained weight loss generally requires aerobic exercise.
Walking/jogging for a minimum 3 times a week for 20 minutes plus will definitely help. And you are already doing the stairs which is brilliant.
As an example. When I ran marathons and ultras I would run up to 2 hours, four or five days a week. One rest day and usually a race on Sunday.
I found it almost impossible to put on weight no matter how much I ate.Of course my objectives were different than yours, but maintaining weight was a happy byproduct of distance running.
These days I just jog a few Kms round the suburb.
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I’ve been using one of those over-the-door things from Gold’s Gym for the last year and a half, but in the new apartment none of the doors are hung the right way, so I’m looking for a new regime. Let me know of your successes, so I can steal your ideas. 🙂
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To my great horror, last fall the buttons popped off of 2 pair of pants and when I went shopping, I found that my waist had grown enough that American clothing stores stock my pants size. I took up CrossFit in January. While it’s a bit pricey, I think the structure of classes forces me to show up and do the stuff better than if I were just exercising on my own. I think I’ll be able to sew buttons back on those pants soon.
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I don’t use this stuff nor do I have any – I have had in the distant past, but realized if I don’t do something I love, I won’t stay with it very long. So I wish you well in the endeavor. Visible results are a nice incentive, though you do realize you will plateau and plateau again – it’s staying With it that counts, for in the end, there will be results if you’re always upping the bar a bit. My youngest daughter is a personal trainer, coach and acupuncturist. So this is from a professional standpoint as well. What I’ve discovered is that riding my bike makes me feel 12 again – the freedom of it! Like flying, sort of. I never tire of it. So that’s my main cardio thing. And then I garden like a madwoman, pruning big trees included. So I don’t have the body of a 30 year-old, never will again. But I’m as fit as a 64 year old woman can be without turning into an ultramarathoning freak taking drugs just to push myself beyond my body’s capacity to absorb the abuse.
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My favorite exercise is fork lifts, which I alternate with spoon lifts. I used to work out but then I also used to be an athlete. There is a lot of ustabees on my CV.
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Reading the above comments makes me feel like a complete slug.
But I am happy to read that there are people who have such good habits, stick-to-itiveness, and stamina. Good on you! 🙂
Best of luck, Mr. M!
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Thank you! I’m reasonably confident. Once anything becomes part of my routine, it’s sort of there to stay.
I only stopped doing exercise when I had my dark period which began at the Dec. 2007 crisis… Wow, 10 years.
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I’ve never managed to make it 30 days.
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You must have! Aren’t you like, over 50! 😀
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56 and proud of every grey hair and wrinkle. I earned each one. 🙂
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Last year I tried one like that for chin-ups: start with 3 sets of 3 and end up doing 30. I progressed for about two weeks and hit a wall somewhere around 10. I don’t think the program took into account the fact that I was 37 and not 17.
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I’ve got ketchup that’s about 17, so maybe it’ll work for me! 😛
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Just make sure what you’re doing is balanced, and includes a lot of core strengthening (which protects your back). I wouldn’t just do push-ups, and after 30 days you’ll probably want to switch up the routine to keep your body “surprised”, to help keep the plateau at bay. Also, don’t get too hung up on weight changes – you might stay the same/actually gain a little as less-firm body parts turn to lean, mean muscle. 🙂 You might find you reduce food intake without effort as you get into this, but if you can, try to cut back a bit on what you eat/drink. The exercise is great for your mental and physical health, but if you really want to lose weight current research suggests you have to cut back on intake, too.
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Hi!
How have you been? Any progress on your house search?
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Hi! Doing well, thank you, though after a lovely vacation a teeny bit too much time has been spent preparing a house for rent. While my own house is neglected.
I didn’t find a place in France on my last trip. I enjoyed the time I spent in Mazamet, where I met a number of delightful and/or entertaining people. But I didn’t find The House – in Mazamet or anywhere else I looked. Have put the hunt on temporary hold as there’s not much point looking for stuff before I know when I’ll be available to view in person.
Inspired by your progress, and over-indulgence on the cocktails front last night, I’m going to take my advice and cut back on the alcohol for a bit. There. I said it. Now I have to do it.
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It’s all part of the process. The more you see, the more you come to terms with what you really want or don’t want, and what’s actually possible.
Having looked at houses for ages, when Mike set foot at number 42, he made an offer more or less within an hour of having first seen it.
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I did a similar thing, the 100 Push Ups (google it) thing. Not bad, and I accomplished it, but then I stopped. Maybe I’ll try the 30 day thing. But I wouldn’t do all the push ups at once. Break it into smaller chunks, with 30 to 60 seconds of rest between.
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I broke it into smaller chunks… and still my chest is burning like crazy today. So I’m going to have to rest it now
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Make yourself a drink and relax. 😉
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BTW your dog is just GORGEOUS!!! Really stunning 🙂
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I am going to try this from 1st of September. If I should succeed, I will let you know. The exercises I have been doing a lot lately is fork lifting and sometimes admiring my bike. It keeps me fit just looking at it.
In the meantime, all the best.
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You cycle everywhere, don’t you? I remember you posting cycling trip pictures. Is it because there are still no cars in Kenya? 😀
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I stopped
They started importing cars and also brought in a 1800 diesel train from China so no use for bicycle.
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Really?!? Cars with motors? 😀
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Not yet. We are using donkeys to pull them. Horses are not here yet.
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That makes more sense!
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Haha.
I will keep you updated when the bourgeois class start using horses 😁😁
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I gave all that shit up when I turned 90.
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Now there’s an idea! Suppose I could do that at 60? (in a couple months) 🙂
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So I have done some product development work in the weight loss space. Three keys:
1. tracking (you’ll learn a lot about where you are willing to cut back because it’s not worth it.). There’s a ton of technology to help do this-LoseIt is a great app, fitness devices like a FitBit will even “buzz” you if you’re sedentary too long.
2. People who get back up when they fall. Invariably you will have a setback. The key is looking past it and keep trying.
3. Social support. You’re doing that already 😊
I believe in you!! When you’re ready to swim, let me know. We can eat pretty much anything we want😉
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We don’t have a pool anymore!
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Pink check for a private message from me on Twitter. You know how to check for a private message, right?
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I do, but I’m in the middle of preparing a bedroom downstairs for Mike and trying to get things ready for tomorrow when he comes home…
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45 push ups? Can’t even do 2! 😀
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Pushups are a tried and true exercise. Add pull-ups and squats and you’re pretty much covered for life.
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Gonna do this , So inspirational and Such an amazing Post and I love it.
Btw there is a new post on my blog on – my 2018 yoga and fitness routine- https://sunainadasblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/adding-yoga-to-my-fitness-routine/
Hope you will like it
Xoxo,
Sunaina
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