Merry Fitmas Everybody!
Time to Get in Shape
Our Fitness Challenge: A History
For the past 4 years, my friends and I have done a fitness challenge around Christmas time. We call it the “Merry Fitmas Challenge”. In our first year of doing this, we challenged ourselves to work out every single day from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve. Let me just say, that was too many times. We all agreed on that. After week one, we were all too sore to do anything rigorous.
We’ve since adjusted our format. Instead of exercising 35 days in a row, the challenge is now a minimum of five workouts a week for 5 weeks. Those two extra rest days are life saving. Not only that, but they are beneficial because our bodies actually need time to recover and grow. Otherwise, we simply overtrain and the work we put in is counterproductive.
As the years have gone by, we’ve added new aspects to the challenge. My favorite addition is that we are each assigned a week to add a rule. Last year, we had to take cold showers in the morning one week, journal each day for another week, and subtract an unhealthy vice another week. These weekly rules turned the challenge from just physical fitness to both mental and physical fitness. Mind and body.
Today marks the end of our first week of the fourth annual Merry Fitmas Challenge. I thought I’d give y’all a quick update as to what we had to do and how it went.
Week One: Sam’s Week
This was a good a week. Everyone exercised five times a week (except for Sam who’s the overachiever with 6 days completed). Well done Sam.
Because it was Sam’s week, he got to pick the extra rules we had to adhere to. Sam’s rules for this week were:
Journal our thoughts for 10 minutes a day.
Spend an hour outside each day.
Watch his new YouTube channel and share it with three people. (I’m about to accomplish this one right now)
Sam really does have a new YouTube channel out. It’s called Project Stoke. He’s partnered with a couple guys and they’ve been doing a great job of filming different outdoor adventures. Their goal is to get people to spend more time outside exploring, and less time on the couch watching tv (unless it’s their videos). They have some fun vlogs that you should really check out.
How Week One Went:
Getting Outside:
Honestly, the rule about getting outside was my favorite part. I often catch myself spending way too much time inside. This rule forced me outside. Whether I was running, writing, reading, or walking outside, I noticed a substantial positive shift in my mood. There’s something about being cooped up inside all the time that begins to wear on me. Breaking free of the confines of four walls made this week much more enjoyable (even if it did get pretty cold on one or two of those days).
10 Minute Journaling:
The journaling aspect was also really nice. I used those 10 minutes to write a “stream of consciousness” (whatever came to mind). I found it kind of amazing the insights I gained simply by following my own thoughts for 10 minutes. I would strongly suggest to anyone who feels anxious or stressed to begin a habit of journaling, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. The bird’s eye view you get of your life is well worth the time spent. Also, it’s extremely helpful to get your thoughts out of your head and on paper so that your mind doesn’t get bogged down trying to keep up with every single thought you have.
The Workouts:
Working out is hands down the greatest way I’ve found to improve a day (and life for that matter). Everyone has their own fitness goals and routines. I aim for a more athletic approach. Here’s what I did this week:
2.5 mile run
Boxing class
Weightlifting - full body
Weightlifting - push day
Sprint drills
Moving Forward:
This upcoming week is Christian’s week. He has challenged us to do two things.
Find a block of wasted time in your day and use that for something productive. This could be practicing a skill, learning something, reading, etc. Just find unproductive time and turn it into useful time.
Create a monetary budget for the week. Be mindful of your expenses and don’t allow yourself to spend more than what you allotted to each expense.
Should be fun!
Join Us!
If you decide to join in with us on this Merry Fitmas Challenge, I’d love to hear how it goes in the comments! Let me know if you have any questions. Hope you get out there and use this month to better yourself. Merry Christmas and Merry Fitmas!