Holiday Fitness Challenges - A Prelude to 2014

            Everywhere you look, holiday fitness challenges are all the rage. There are plank challenges, wall sit challenges, Shaun T’s “Holiday Edge” challenge … I’m guilty of adding fuel to the fire, with my “Twelve Days of Fitness” challenge starting on Tuesday for my friends and workout buddies.

            Why take part in a holiday challenge? It’s a busy time of the year - between dinners, parties, shopping, wrapping, travel and other obligations, it seems crazy to tackle a add a fitness challenge on top of everything else.  There are moments in December when I can barely handle my normal workout schedule, much less add on extra challenges – so why are December fitness challenges so popular?

            There’s clearly an element of self-preservation here. During the holidays, delicious food is everywhere. Many of us may wish to indulge a bit and enjoy our time with family and friends. At the same time, we don’t want to see a big weight gain on the morning of January 1. We embrace challenges like this, because they make sure that we don’t completely let ourselves go during December. They help us burn a few extra calories, to make sure that the sparkly holiday dress (or tuxedo) still looks fabulous at the party. Plus, these challenges can be fun, especially if you’re doing them with a group, either locally or through Facebook. They create a sense of camaraderie – friends pulling together to tackle daily challenges, all in the name of healthy living.

            I decided to create my own holiday challenge – the “Twelve Days of Fitness” - because I wanted to develop a fun activity that all of the members of my on-line fitness group could do together. I suppose I could have borrowed someone else’s challenge, but I decided to create one that had a fitness element, AND that would create a source of healthy recipes for everyone to take away at the end. Once the challenge was ready, I decided to share it with my “real world” friends too – since most us are in our 30s, 40s and beyond, there’s a lot of interest in health and nutrition.

            So if you haven’t signed up for the challenge – don’t hesitate to do so! See www.lauratfitness.com for more information, and “like” this post if you need an invitation to the event. I’m looking forward to talking with old friends, sharing recipes and ideas, and keeping my fitness on track throughout December. And I hope that this challenge helps us look ahead to 2014, to make sure that healthy living holds a central place in our lives. Completing a fitness challenge isn’t an end – it’s just the beginning, and can be a great way to start 2014 right.