Getting an early start on winter fitness wild optimism

One of the things I like best about this blog is how it Never Ever loses its head as the new year approaches. It Never Ever splashes its pages with New Year’s top fitness plans, best-bikini blasting workouts (I think that metaphor didn’t work out, but you get the idea), or any cockamamie crackpot idea for transforming your body through aerial lacrosse or bench presses on horseback. And we Never Ever Will.

Now, we bloggers and readers do, in fact, love us some challenges. The 219 in 2019 groups have been humming along since they were 216 in 2016; also, some of us have done 30-day or longer yoga challenges. And of course the plank challenge never really goes away, it just fades into the background for a while, then inches back.

Focusing on a fitness challenge or a fitness goal is something loads of us do, whether in the form of a specific timed challenge, a group training plan, individual training for races, charity events, active vacation trips, etc. I used to be a challenge curmudgeon, but am recently a convert and maybe even a challenge evangelist (I’ll try not to be annoying about it).

This week, I surfed my challenge enthusiasm wave all the way to online checkout: I bought a 12-week at-home strength training and yoga online program. Full disclosure: I got sucked in by a Black Friday deal. Oh, the shame… 🙂

However, this program is by Bad Yogi, an online yoga instructor whose yoga videos I like a lot. I’m not linking to the program, but it is basically a 12-week set of alternating strength training and yoga videos– 3 of each per week, plus one rest day. Honestly, this is more than I can probably manage, but that’s okay. I showed the strength training exercises for week 1 to a friend who’s pretty knowledgeable about these things, and she approved. They are all pretty familiar to me.

One thing I noticed right away is that the pace and exercise load is way too rigorous for me right now. No problem– I’ll pace myself and also lighten and also modify the exercises. Modifications are included in the program.

I do want to do some sort of strength training 3 times a week– that’s the reason why I bought the program. But if I do it 2 times a week, that’s good too. I already do some yoga almost every day, but these yoga videos are helpful and also focus on specific body areas, which is not a bad resource to have at my fingertips.

I’ll be reporting back every 4 weeks on how things are going– what I liked, what I didn’t, what worked, what seems completely undoable (by me), and what I’m learning.

And I know what I am about to say is completely silly, but: I’m sort of proud of myself for starting this now, rather than waiting until January 1. I want to feel stronger and to move more easily in the activities I do, and I think this will help me. December is a hugely busy time, but hey– life is busy. I’m hoping it will be a nice anchoring activity for me (to borrow a phrase from Christine’s post on Saturday).

Readers, do you have some physical activity goals or plans for the last part of 2019? For 2020? How do you manage December and physical activity? I’d love to hear from you.