Are We Having Fun Yet? The First Get Fit Challenge

What's more fun...Work or Play? I vote for Play. Unless, that is, your work is your play. And then the answer is work, although, then, that really is play.

Do you see where this is going? I want you to think of your workouts as playouts. I want you to have FUN with your workouts. The more FUN you have, the better luck you'll have in incorporating your workouts into a life-long, sustainable way of life.

One way to have fun with workouts, is to turn them into games or challenges. For example, set a timer for 2 minutes, and see how many push-ups you can do, or count how many times you can jump rope. Then, next time you try it, see if you've improved. Be sure to record your results in a notebook or fitness log, so that you can track your progress. 

This brings me to our first Get Fit Challenge.......

The 1-Mile Challenge

Step #1.....Find a place to safely run or walk 1 mile. My preference is to do this at the SBCC track. Four laps = 1 mile.

Step #2.......Warm-up first, and then, walk or run 1 mile, depending on your fitness level, and running level. Very Important.....to avoid injury, do NOT do too much too soon. If you don't currently run, then walk the entire mile. If you usually run 1/4 mile or 1/2 mile, then start out by running those distances, and walking the rest of the way. Over the next 4 weeks, you can increase the distance that you're running, until you reach the 1 mile mark. Increasing your running distance and/or speed by too much, too quickly, can lead to serious injuries, including stress fractures. If you get a stress fracture, you'll be on crutches, you'll be very pissed off at me, and you will also end up having to hire me to walk your dog every day because you won't be able to walk him yourself. I am a very expensive dog walker!!

Step #3.....Record the time it takes you to complete the mile. Be honest. Don't worry about what the time is. Just record it. It is what it is. And it is an honest measurement of your ability to walk/run a mile. It's like a benchmark of your fitness.

Step #4......Repeat steps #2 and #3 (the running/walking, and recording the times sections). I suggest that you do this 2 to 3 times each week, and on alternating days. If you're at the point where you are walking the entire mile, it should be just fine for you to do this every day, on consecutive days. But, if you're running, give your body 1-2 days rest between each session. This doesn't mean to sit and do nothing in between, just mix it up, and don't run every day. 

Step #5.....Post to Comments, your 1-mile time for the first time you do this, and your 1-mile time after doing this for one month. Also post how you feel, what you experienced.

Remember to have FUN with this. It's a personal challenge, as well as a challenge and experience to share with the rest of us. I'll be doing this challenge with you. I'm not a runner, so I'll be starting out with mostly walking. 

See you at the track! I'll be the one wearing loud colors and listening to rowdy music (see yesterday's post)!