Skip to main content

Holiday Hustle and A Little Bit Every Day

 

    Last month, I experimented with doing the Seven-ish Minute Workout every day for a month. I completed this exercise every day; even on the days that were most full or I didn't feel like exercising, seven minutes always felt doable enough that I didn't want to break the streak. 
    After a while, a funny thing happened. I began to feel more active in other parts of the day. We spontaneously decided to take a hike one afternoon, and it was easy to climb the steeper portions. I found myself more motivated to take more walks, even after Avi went to sleep. And when my friend, Paulina, encouraged me and Joel to sign up for the Holiday Hustle challenge to benefit Feeding America, I entertained the idea, even though the month before I wouldn't have given it a second thought. 
    The premise of the Holiday Hustle is to run or walk 50 kilometers by New Years Day. On the one hand, it felt silly to pay money to walk 50 kilometers when we could easily do the same thing at home for free. On the other hand, it benefited a good cause, was a way to connect with Paulina from afar, and provided a novelty that shook up our usual routine. Before signing up for the holiday hustle, we wouldn't go on a family walk in December. Now though, it seems worth it to bundle up and look at lights around the neighborhood to add a few more kms. 
    Arbitrary? Yes, but once we're on a walk it's such a good mood booster and way to connect as a family. I can connect with my friend by sending pictures of things we've found on our walks. I remember to take breaks at work for quick walks. Somehow knowing I was counting the distance I walked allowed me to reboot this habit. I've even gone on a run a few times, which I haven't done for months, just because I felt like it. 
    All this is just to say, small amounts of exercise each day added  up to more than I expected. As of right now, I've tracked running and walking 27.6 kilometers. I'm sticking with my seven minute-ish morning exercise on work days because at this point it's a habit, and I know that it helps me start the day with more energy and gives me a bias towards movement throughout the day. 
    I'm looking forward to completing the Holiday Hustle and all the walks and runs we will take this month. I love bundling up, listening to a podcast, and looking at all the Christmas lights in our neighborhood. I'm anticipating this will get harder as the weather gets colder. Yesterday was so cold, I didn't make it out. For now, though, I'm embracing these outdoor walks most days. 
    I'm curious, what are ways you have found to make movement a consistent part of your routine, especially if you live in a wintry area? I'd love to find ways to keep exercising as it continues to get colder in January and the challenge ends. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Two November Experiments

  Avi as a strawberry for Halloween.     Since I'm feeling a bit more in a routine work and schedule wise, I've decided to try two experiments this month. I've been thinking about both of them for a while, and I think I have the bandwidth to try them out this month. Experiment #1: The Seven Minute Workout     I struggle to get into exercise routines. It's not my highest priority, but I always do feel more energetic on the days I exercise. I've decided to do the seven minute HIIT workout everyday in November to see how it feels. It definitely gets my heart rate up without feeling too hard, and it's easy to fit in right before I shower in the morning. Although I've done this workout intermittently,  I'm curious to see what it feels like to make this a daily habit.  Experiment #2: Time Block Planning at Work Attempt #1     I read Deep Work  by Cal Newport earlier this year, and I've also been listening to his podcast  recently. In both...
6 comments
Read more

Adventures Big & Small

     Photos from a recent adventure       I just started listening to Tranquility by Tuesday  by Laura Vanderkam, and one of the ideas she mentioned was planning 2 adventures each week: one big and one small. As I was listening to her describe the rule, I thought about what I had planned this week and realized that I had a few adventures planned without thinking of them in that way. It really helped shift my mindset to realize that I do have some fun and novel things planned, and I'm curious to experiment with adding this to the routine, particularly as we are settling into a new city. I feel like I've plateaued a bit the last few weeks even though things are finally starting to feel settled down. I hit a point where I missed our Colorado friends and my old job, even if I feel like this move and taking time to be at home is right for us in the long run. Thinking through new adventures in this new phase of life is a way to balance some of this feel...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trees Like Cathedrals

         This fall, I'm finding immense joy in the trees in our neighborhood.  I've enjoyed fall ever since I lived in Massachusetts just after graduating college, since California fall doesn't have that quintessential fall feeling you hear about. But this year, perhaps because of how hot and ashy September was here, each sign of the season's changing feels hopeful and optimistic.      When Avi and I walk in the mornings and evenings, I've spent a lot of time looking up through the leaves in the tree. One of the things I love most about my neighborhood is that it is well-shaded by enormous trees. Even though I live in a residential area near a main road, when I look up I feel as if I've traveled farther into nature away from my house .     Lately, I've been thinking of trees almost as cathedrals. I look up and see the light filtering through as though it's streaming in through stained glass windows. Starting my days looking for the ...
1 comment
Read more