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365 Days Of Fitness Challenge - Month Recap

So it has been a month, since I’ve started the 365 days of fitness challenge. Over the course of the last 31 days, the plan was to complete at least:

  • 31 miles (50km)

  • 775 situps

  • 775 pushups

  • 775 burpees

  • 775 squats

  • 620 lunges (310 per leg)

  • 2, 325 jumping jacks

  • 62 minutes of plank

  • 62 minutes of wall sits

The first two weeks worked out pretty well. I had a specific list of exercises to complete every day, and most days I ended up with two workouts. I really enjoyed the extra little pick-me-up routine in the evening, which only took 20 minutes or so.

I found squats the easiest, and wall sits the hardest. The latter were probably the hardest, because they were new to me – I rarely incorporate those into my routine. Unfortunately, my knees did not like this particular exercise at all!

January was also the month when I started CrossFit. That coupled with burpees and push-ups every single day was way too “shoulder-heavy”.

Around mid-January, I started getting a little bored with the routine… My knees were complaining more and more about the wall sits. Then I sprained my wrist (and there went my push-ups and burpees). As a result, I did not complete all the daily exercises as prescribed.

However, January resulted in at least:

  • 70 miles (110km) run/walked/hiked

  • 775 situps

  • 450 push-ups

  • 450 burpees

  • 775 squats

  • 620 lunges (310 per leg)

  • 2, 325 jumping jacks

  • 48 minutes of plank

  • 37 minutes of wall sits

In addition:

  • 12 CrossFit workouts

  • 3 swim workouts

  • 1 outdoor running event

However… I still intend to finish all the reps I set out to do. I’m all caught up with my miles, and the last couple of days were squat and lunge heavy, as my wrist was taking a break.

As of today, I still need to complete:

  • 325 burpees (+40 earned for being late to CrossFit) –> equivalent to missing 12 obstacles during a Spartan race

  • 325 push-ups

  • 14min of plank

  • 25min of wall sits

Given the sprained wrist, I’m going to try doing 1 burpee/1 push-up on the 1st of the month, and adding one more rep every day.

Going forward… As I was taking this on at the beginning of January, I wasn’t planning to actually do the same exercises every single day for a year. I just… don’t function that way. It’s boring. Your body gets used to the exercises really quickly, and then it’s not really a challenge any more.

However, I’m really happy I decided to do this for a couple of reasons:

  • The first couple of weeks in January are often the hardest to power through – the holidays are over, and motivation can be pretty low. We feel sluggish and guilty after all the Christmas (over)eating. This gave me a very specific to do item for every day.

  • I also decided to make this challenge my own. I accept the 365 days of fitness challenge. I will aim to complete at least 20 minutes of physical activity every single day in 2013. (I’m on track so far!)

  • I love the idea of moving every day. But I don’t love the idea of doing the same thing. I also do not think it’s necessary to do 25 squats and 75 jumping jacks on a day that I have already completed a tough CrossFit workout, or ran 10 miles (or completed the Ultra Beast, or Goruck, or a full marathon, etc., etc.).

  • I’ve also completed this set of exercises enough times to memorize it, and so it can serve as a really easy light workout day, if nothing else is planned, or if I’m simply pressed for time.

That’s my thoughts for now. Now to figure out a new challenge for February!

Signing off, Solo

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