Week 1: Get started
There are 7 days in a week. The challenge for September is to take 5 of those days and commit to exercise and good nutrition. Below I have listed some specifics about the challenge. Remember, I am not a nutritionist, so these are just suggestions regarding my diet. Here are the details of the 5&5 challenge:
1) 5 days per week of exercise
– Beginners: 3 days per week of aerobic exercise for at least 15 minutes, with a goal of exercising for 30 minutes per aerobics day; minimum of 2 days per week of strength training for the upper body, lower body, and core, meaning 2 days of upper body exercises, 2 days of lower body exercises, and 2 days of core exercises, again, with a minimum of 15 minutes of activity (exercises can be combined, such as one day of upper and lower body exercise, and one day of core and upper body…and so on, or you can do 2 days of total body exercise)
– Intermediate/Advanced exercisers: 2-3 days per week of any form of high intensity exercise (if it is safe for you to work at high intensity) for 10-20 minutes (this time includes your rest intervals), followed by 2-3 days of moderate intensity exercise combining strength and aerobic exercises, ensuring that each muscle group is targeted a minimum of 2 times each week; if you are unable to do high intensity exercises, then do 5 days per week of moderate intensity exercises for 20-30 minutes, incorporating strength and aerobic exercises into each routine, ensuring that each muscle group is targeted at least 2 times within the week
2) 5 days per week of good nutrition
– minimum of 3-4 servings of vegetables, minimum of 2-3 servings of fruit, an adequate amount of whole grains and/or healthy starches (such as potatoes, corn, peas, etc.) and this will vary for each person (I try for 2-4 servings per day, but I am about 5 foot 1 inch and 122 pounds, so I won’t need the same amount of calories as a taller and heavier person), 2-3 servings of lean protein/meats, if you want dairy then stick with 1-2 servings of low fat dairy, and plenty of water
– control your portions, being aware of serving sizes
– avoid excess salt/sodium, fat/oil, and sugar (yes, this includes diet desserts, diet sodas, fruit juices that are high in sugar, and salad dressings and other sauces or condiments)
Remember your 80:20 rule, and be sure that 80% of what you eat is whole and nutritious. On your 2 off days, don’t go overboard and ruin all of the hard work you have done on the other 5 days of the week. Select something to have as a treat, and control your portion. I like to have a couple of pieces of chocolate as a treat, or a children’s sized ice cream. If you don’t want to stop your healthy eating by allowing yourself a sugary dessert or a creamy sauce or dressing, then don’t. Also, if it is one of your 2 off days and you want work out, then do. Just be sure that you don’t exercise too much. Yes, you can actually exercise too much! Allow your body some time to recover. A good technique for exercising but allowing your body to recover is to have an active recovery day. This would be a workout at a low intensity that allows your body to continue in the recovery process without completely stepping away from exercise. Some examples of active recovery workouts are going for a low intensity walk or hike, completing yard work, or going bowling.
Alright, this is the beginning of the September challenge, and I know you can do it. I will be working my way through the challenge with you. I will be posting tips, my thoughts, my struggles, and all kinds of other things to help motivate and encourage you along the way. Let’s get to it!
~ Cece
Tags: 5&5, challenge, fitness, food, fortunes, health, lifestyle, September, wellness
Posted in Challenges
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