This is the time of year when our social feeds are flooded with images of new year’s resolutions! New gym memberships, fresh Lulu and Alo gear beckoning, and maybe a couple lbs that need to be dealt with. I love a new calendar year and all the possibilities that it holds.
Getting into a solid routine and setting achievable goals is always a good idea. Participating in a workout challenge could be right for you!
Psst. We have one starting Monday, January 8th! [All the deets here]
Here’s why:
Clearly Defined Goals
There is a vast body of research available about goal setting and achievement. One of the most well understood principles of goal setting is that we stand a much better chance of achieving a goal that is clearly defined versus reaching for one that is general or vague.
For example, instead of making a general goal to “lose weight” or “make healthy choices” you would see better results with a specific goal such as “run 2 miles easily” or “eat a salad for lunch every day.”
Fitness challenges are by their nature specific and clearly defined! Completing the challenge is a goal in and of itself. On top of that, workout challenges are designed with goals to hit along the way or by the end of the challenge. Challenges check all the boxes for those who get their kicks ticking lists (like me!).
There is a start (and an end!) Ours goes one month, January 8th to February 8th.
Some of us see fitness and exercise as a routine necessity in our lives that has to be done to feel and look our best and that motivates us to get into class or sign in online just about daily.
But, what we know is that starting (or re-starting) a fitness journey is HARD. It takes time and commitment to start seeing the changes you want to see. It can be overwhelming (and therefore, demotivating) to think about working out every day for the rest of time. It is far less intimidating to start out with a 2, 6, 8, or 12 week period of time.
Remember endless months of lock down? Super hard on the wellbeing, right? But 2 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks…that you can manage because there is a defined end in sight.
Accountability Keeps You on Track
We know intuitively that accountability is a major motivator for doing what you say you’re going to do. If you promise yourself that you are going to get up and go for a run tomorrow morning but you decide to hit snooze instead, you have only let yourself down. Stings a bit, but you’ll get over it. If you promised your friend that you would meet her at the top of her driveway at 7 am to go for a run, you are going to be there because you don’t want to let her down.
When you join a workout challenge, you are leveraging the very real and very potent power of accountability. The second you consider skipping a session or quitting before it’s over you remember all those other people who committed alongside you. As they say, together we are stronger. That is certainly true when it comes to facing a workout challenge together.
Community Love and Support
The pandemic really reiterated a fundamental facet of human kind: we need the support and sense of belonging that comes from other people! Being a part of something bigger than ourselves is not a fluffy add-on. It is essential to our well being, inside and out.
When you become a member of a workout challenge, you become part of a group that is collectively striving to achieve something big. And that is HUGE! When you embark on a journey, especially once that is inherently challenging, the support of others who are going through the same thing can make all the difference in the world.
In community, we know that we are not alone. We have others who can lift us up when we are feeling low and likewise, we can give a boost to someone who may need it. In community, we know we belong and that is majorly motivating.
Variety is the Spice of the Fitness Life
If you’ve been active and involved in movement and exercise over the long run, you know full well that sometimes, you just have to change things up! Part of this is based on our feelings about working out and part of this is based on the results we see from our efforts.
On the emotional side of things, we are humans and humans get bored doing the same thing over and over. Working out is no exception. After jogging on the treadmill for the 600th time, working out is going to feel like a chore and super boring.
On the physical side of things, there’s a little thing called a workout plateau or fitness plateau or weight loss plateau. Whatever you decide to call it, it’s the same thing. After a period of time, you are going to stop seeing noticeable results for your workout efforts. If you’re doing three Pilates sessions a week in a challenge, you’re going to get to do all the exercises and apparatuses you don’t normally get to do in your regular class. Changing things up with a fitness challenge is a great way to move your body in a new way that your body will respond to in a different way.
Amazing Results
Finally, there is a very good reason why fitness challenges are so wildly popular. They get results! They really, really work. Naturally, the results you see will depend on the type of challenge and where your body and mind are when you start the challenge. However, if you show up, do the work, and complete the challenge as prescribed, you will get amazing results.
If you are ready to take advantage of all the goodness that comes along with joining and completing a fitness challenge, we’ve got great news! We are starting a challenge this Monday and you are right on time to join! It’s called The Joseph Pilates Challenge and it’s 12 sessions in 1 month with a whopping dose of accountability. Sign up HERE.