This is Day 1 of the 21-Day Fitness Challenge held in Feb 2012. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
HELLO EVERYONE!!! Welcome to Day 1 (Feb 3) of the 21-Day Fitness Challenge for February 2012! :D
As of the writing of this post, we have 242 official participants here with us on the challenge (including me)!!! *whistles* *dances* *dance* That’s 242 of us ready to rock our bodies, sweat it out, and embrace a thinner, leaner, healthier us at the end of the challenge? Are you ready for that OR WHAT?
If you have not signed up yet, where have you been?! Hurry over to the announcement post, sign up there, do your pre-work (Day 0’s task), and get started on your fitness regime now! (Update Feb 6: Sign ups are now closed).
For the 241 of you who have signed up (refer to: official participants list), make sure you’ve done your pre-work first. Then, continue reading!
My 21DFC Progress, Day 1
As I mentioned from the start of the challenge, I started 21DFC because I intended to get back into the exercising gear myself after returning from my travels.
Hence, I’ll be taking part in 21DFC with all of you from Feb 3-23. :D Throughout the 21 days, I’ll be openly sharing my progress in the next 21 days – no holds barred. From intended exercises, to obstacles, to personal victories, I’ll be sharing them via the daily 21DFC posts. I hope through my sharing, you’ll find it a source of inspiration in excelling your 21DFC!
In order to share my exercise logs in time for the daily 21DFC posts, I decided to start my 21DFC 1 day earlier. Meaning while Feb 3 is the official Day 1 for the challenge, Feb 2 is actually my Day 1. It’s really semantics, though – at the end of the day, it’s about exercising (or being physically active, for those who dislike that word!) for 3 weeks straight, and thereafter successfully cultivating this habit for life.
So Day 1 of 21DFC! I slept somewhat early the night before (10+pm or so), so I ended up waking up at 3:30am and wasn’t sleepy anymore. After using the computer for a few hours, I decided to kick off my 21DFC with a jog/run. What I love about my home is that there is a park connector right behind it – which is great for jogging/running (if it’s not raining).
The park connector I’ll be running in regularly for the next few weeks. I ran early in the morning while it was still dark – this picture was taken after my jog. This is only the start of the trail; it goes for a very long way, connecting different neighborhoods together.
For those of you who read my 2011 year end review, you may recall me wanting my 2012 to be a year of intuition. And that was the reason why I didn’t specify any activities for my 21-day exercising chart (not yet, anyway). I wanted to focus on the intention to be more active, then decide what to do for each day as the day unfolds/when the thought strikes me.
Anyway, the reason why I mentioned that is because I only decided to run/jog after I woke up at 3:30am. As I prefer to jog when it’s dark and more cooling (I don’t understand how people can jog when the sun is scorching hot), I was out barefoot jogging at 6:30am.
I didn’t pre-set a target distance to jog/run. Rather, I allowed myself to run however fast/slow and however long I wanted to. It turned out to be a great strategy, because I enjoyed the jog/run far more than I’ve ever enjoyed my jogs/runs. Throughout the run, I focused on enjoying the dewy scent of the morning, watching the other people walking/running/exercising on the park connector, and watching the sky slowly lit up as dawn broke over the neighborhood.
At the end of the jog/run, it turned out that I covered 5.5km (3.4 miles), and I didn’t stop to walk either! I was pretty excited and happy with what I had accomplished. Not bad for my first exercise, especially since I haven’t been working out for a while. :D
(PS: For those of you who run, here’s an excellent site to measure your running routes: Walk Jog Run)
Anyway, normally I would have called it a day after a jog like that. But I decided to step it up a notch, since I was in the grove. In the true spirit of the 21DFC pledge, of “push[ing] my physical limits to where it has not gone before”, and to make 21DFC really count, I decided to go for a swim – after my jog.
Note that I wasn’t disciplining, forcing, or even remotely making myself do that. Long-time readers of PE would know that I do not believe in self-discipline – I see it as an unsustainable, heavy, and exhausting way of achieving goals. I just genuinely, truly wanted to swim after my jog. In fact, while I was jogging, I kept thinking about how great/fun it would be to swim after I was done. So to the pool I went!
I didn’t reckon they’d let me take pictures in the pool I went since it’s a public facility (would be intruding on others’ privacy), so here’s a picture of a random swimming pool in place of that. (Image courtesy of Dreamstime.)
Believe it or not, after I was dressed in my swimwear, and all ready to hit the water, my goggles broke. Seriously – see it for yourself:
My expression when I saw the broken goggles, literally: =_=
Funnily, I didn’t let that thwart my desire to swim. I did feel momentarily halted by it, but I refused to leave the pool or end Day 1 without my swim. I thought about buying a new pair of goggles, but the particular pool I went to didn’t have a shop. I thought about borrowing from one of the lifeguards, but somehow I didn’t think it was a request they would jump at.
So after a minute of pondering, I decided to swim anyway – without my goggles. I simply kept my head above water as I did my usual laps – alternating from breaststroke to backstroke. I couldn’t do free style since it required my head to be under the water, but it was okay with me.
At the end of my swim, I had finished 20 continuous laps (in an olympic size pool), had a somewhat sore neck, but was extremely happy with my performance. And off I went for my lunch.
Oh, guess what – It started pouring after I finished showering, and the rain lasted for a good 2 hours. Learning of the day? Always take action when you get the opportunity, and don’t wait till it’s too late!
So yes, 2 ticks for my Day 1 representing 2 separate exercise sessions, and 20 days to go! ;)
Ticked with much satisfaction at the end of the day :)
That’s it for my Day 1 – stay tuned for Day 2 tomorrow! ;)
How About YOUR Day 1? Share Your Progress!
The above is my log for Day 1. How about yours? How did YOUR 21DFC Day 1 go? Did you get to complete your scheduled activity? Did you achieve any personal victories? Did something unexpected crop up, which made you learn some valuable personal lessons?
Regardless of how your day went, I want to hear it all. 21DFC is not about sharing ‘flawless’ fitness progress, but about sharing everything our journey towards a healthier, fitter life – obstacles and all. Post your day’s journal in the comments section! If you have any images to share, simply upload them to Photo Bucket or Imgur first, then include the link(s) in your reply.
In your comment, feel free to share the following:
- What physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
- If you didn’t get to do any physical activity, why? And what can you do about it such that the same thing doesn’t happen again?
- What physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
Check out other participants’ responses and join in the discussions!
Looking forward to Day 2 tomorrow! ;)
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Day 1 (Feb. 3rd) was very busy for me as we were moving the next day. I spent the whole day packing and doing errands – my husband and I were pretty exhausted after all the last minute stuff. While I don’t have an exact time of how much exercising I did, I was going pretty steady throughout the day.
Day 1
Today I neglected to any specific exercise. The biggest obstacle I had today was that I put myself last. I realize that I must make myself a priority and take care of my body. I will move forward tomorrow.
ok i see now I need to post each day’s progress in the correct day’s post. so for day 1 i did a 45 minute total body conditioning class that was challenging and i met a new instructor who i really liked. she gave me some useful tips and I was proud of myself for making it to the gym.
1.What physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
I went for an hour long walk plus I spent 12 minutes riding my exercise bike. The walk was not uncommon for me, but the exercise bike is something I dont do very often. It felt good to ride the bike and I accepted any amount of time over 10 minutes.
I’m a little late posting but wanted to catch up. It was a crazy busy day but I ran 2.5 mi on my treadmill then did 30 min of core workout (crunches, plank, etc…).
Did a workout on the stationery bike using a MP3 download from http://www.cardiocoach.com
I felt pretty sluggish during the workout(60 minutes) and my heart rate was way too high. Just one of those off days.
:(
-What exercise/physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
So on the 3rd, I did a complete set of activities!
1) 95 pound bar, dead lifts
2) jumping pull ups
3) 85 Jerk and Clean
4) Knee Lifts
Did this for five rounds for a total time of 48:35
-Any reflections for today?
It was a tough workout but I had a blast. I need to work more on my technique, but overall I will get a sense of what I need to accomplish for Monday’s workout.
-What exercise/physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
I looked for something easy… cause I was knocked out yesterday. lol
I wasn´t able to exercise today, but I´m definetely starting strong tomorrow!! I´m not going to miss a single day from now on. This is a promise to myself!
I didn’t post yesterday, but as a moral duty I’m doing it now.
I’m going to gym 3 or 4 days/week and train for about 50 minutes-1 hour.
Yesterday, I trained myself about 1 hour and 20, doing half of hour on gym bycicle.
Hey guys! So last night after work, I put my headphones on and played some music and managed to dance to a variety of genres probably from like 10 pm to 11:30. It was a lot of fun, and here I am in the morning with neck pain from all the bhangra and hip hop moves that I haven’t done in a long time. But I’m really excited for Day 2! Sounds like you all had a great one as well!
1.What exercise/physical activity did you do (if any), and for how long?
I completed a 105 minute stability ball workout.
2.Any reflections for today?
My abs, back, shoulders, and arms hurt. Looks like I found the right thing to shake up my routine! :dance:
3.What exercise/physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
My 30 min stabilityball workout. I’ll be out late night so I won’t be able to get up at my normal time (5:30am).
That park connector looks like a lovely place being surrounded by trees! And thanks for sharing the “Walk Jog Run” website, I have been looking for a tool like that and I just finished calculating the distance of a route, it’s useful & informative :) (especially that we can save the routes!)
Day 1’s exercise was a 3km walk with my father, it took us 45 mins. (which I think is equivalent to a speed of 2mph which is considered a “slow speed” for walking… I wasn’t too thrilled to find that out, hopefully our speed will improve – it must!)
Today was an extremely rainy day here, so I didn’t do my running/walking. Instead I went out and bought a Wii, Wii fit and the Just Dance 3 game so I can workout inside if the weather doesn’t co-operate. I got my daughters involved and we did a lot of fun dancing to the Just Dance 3 songs, which were a lot more like an aerobics workout than I expected. If the rain lets up tomorrow, I’ll do more walking and running, but I’m really glad I have the new Wii to workout with either way.
That is incredibly smart of you to do that, Marsha! Exercising AND having fun – this is what it’s all about. :D And that’s the way to make exercising an integral part of our life too. Maybe I should get one too… hmm.
Brisk walk for 10 minutes or so. Didn’t have time for anything else unfortunately. Better luck next time!
First off, I’d like to thank Celes for the wonderful 21 DHL challenge in January. In 2012 so far I’ve lost 3kg and taken my BMI down from 25 to 23.7. Huzzah! Now for the 21 DEC which timing-wise ties in perfectly with the short (active) holiday I have planned on 24-26 Feb :)
:dance: In terms of pre-work, I used mapmyrun.com to work out the distances for common routes I travel (different tube stops to home/work and the trek to get a lunchtime sandwich if I haven’t brought one in myself). Last year I also went through several magazines’ worth of floor exercises and selected the ones within my capabilities that don’t make my joints make strange clicking noises. So no excuse for not doing them! :rolleyes:
1. What exercise/physical activity did you do, and for how long?
Day 0 – was gearing up for challenge and managed to walk 8km.
Day 1 – for various reasons I only managed 4km but as that is my daily baseline during this challenge I am ok with that. Also remembered to do stomach clenches on the tube (did 100), and finally did about 10 mins of floor exercises just before bedtime (after computer and internet shutdown).
2. Any reflections for today?
I arrived late to work because I set out late but still did an extra 1km of walk. Must leave house earlier so that I feel good about this challenge!
Was pleased that I did floor exercises. Building up muscle will burn calories and fat quicker!
3. What exercise/physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
Mostly the same except I’m going to go walking for the sake of it as opposed to incorporate it in my daily routine. Some of the mileage will come out of the trip to the fresh food shop I’m planning. Fortunately it’s really sunny outside (even if it’s freezing and predicted snow!)
Btw, is anyone else in awe of Celes doing a 5.5km barefoot run at 6:30 am? :clap:
“In 2012 so far I’ve lost 3kg and taken my BMI down from 25 to 23.7. Huzzah!”
WOW. HUZZAH indeed, zingfairy!! You ought to be really proud of youself! :D I know I am. And a big congratulations for your accomplishments for Days 0 and 1 – 8km and 4km are L-O-N-G, even for walking. And to top that off, you even did 100 stomach clenches and 10 minutes of floor exercises. :clap: I’m SO proud of you!
Hello All,
Today I did 2 fitness podcasts, for a total of 40 minutes. Tomorrow I am going for a 3mile walk, then about half an hour of weight training.
Day 1
I used an exercise DVD – one I’ve not used before. It combines aerobics with repetitive low weights training. I also did my physio exercise. Total time – 30 mins.
I’ve been doing something most days since 1 Jan so this was has become a habit. I’m gradually being able to increase the intensity and I’m pleased about that.
Tomorrow I will work in the garden.
Had to work today, 12 hour shift, so Im doing the steps at work!!! We have 12 flights.
Well it was not such a good start to day 1. I did get my arm strengthening exercise in, which is good but I don’t think that i pushed myself hard enough. I did not go jogging yesterday as it was raining. I work from home, the office is on floor of the house, so I wonder if that counts as one flight of stairs, if so I am up and down those often, maybe i should run up them. Hoping the coming days will be better.
I pushed myself, and got up early and ran three miles on the track, and worked out in the gym afterwards concentrating on upper boday today. I did at least three sets on various machines. however, I still did some leg curls, and crunches on the machine. I am hoping to increase my pace on the track. I didn’t run a the clock today, but will Monday timing the runs. But anyway, I hope to keep the momentum
:-)
Dana
Yesterday (Day 1 ) I walked 4.1 miles. It was so beautiful outside that the walk was effortless. I think today was the 1st day in a long time that I didn’t need or want to walk with music because the birds where chirping & chatting to me the whole walk.
:D
I seem to have missed the Day 0 pledge to update my progress every single day, come rain or hail :-/
So for yesterday’s challenge – I got up, reluctantly, both due to a late night / too a early a morning / after a too-short phone conversation with my partner who’s working abroad and I haven’t seen for going on 3 months. Still, I was resolved to go jogging. Put on exercise gear and stepped outside – into the pouring rain!
Fortunately, the choice between saying “oh well, let’s try again tomorrow” and just GOING for it, wasn’t hard :-D
So even though I was planning on walking for 10 and then alternating jogging and walking for 20 mins thereafter (I haven’t exercised much for the last couple of *years* #shamefaced#), I ended up only doing the 20min alternation. But that’s 20min more than I did the day / week / month / year before that!
What exercise/physical activity did you do, and for how long?
I took a short walk, did a set of stretches, and made lots of trips up and down the stairs — our stairs are narrow and steep, so I usually limit the number of times I go up or down. I lost count of the number of times I went up today.
Any reflections for today?
This approach, a gentle beginning to the challenge, shows promise. If I don’t make myself sore and uncomfortable, I’m a lot more likely to do it again, and to keep doing it.
What exercise/physical activity do you plan to do tomorrow?
I plan to do more of the same. I hope to walk farther, and do two sets of stretches. I’ll also start counting the number of times I go up and down the stairs.
Hey Vicki!!
Stairs are a great way to get fit! Keep up the wonderful work :)
xx
What exercise?
I had my third private yoga lesson. In order to increase the number of private lessons, I have traded fiber art for lessons. I wanted to go private because I want to learn how to do yoga in the privacy of my home, as well as incorporate it into every day. At the end of the hour, before relaxation, my knee said enough. I was amazed we had been an hour in one respect, and in the other I was definitely feeling it.
Any reflections?
I am amazed at what three sessions – a total of 2.5 hours – has done for me. My gait is improving, as is my flexibility. My appetite is down considerably, and I am far more conscious of my body. Plus I feel good. I am now focused on my weight, which is a first for me. I know I’m getting healthier each day – and amazed at how quickly I am taking to this.
Tomorrow?
20 minutes of breathing and relaxation, at least 10 minutes on the floor doing specific poses, and at least 10 minutes practicing balance. :heart:
Day 1 I was plan to do yoga at the morning for 90 minutes but ended up about 1 hour because my hands and legs cramps easily, can’t hold a pose too long.. the second day is whether yoga or stair climbing :)
I am on day three of my thirty day Bikram yoga challenge so I went to the 5:30 Bikram yoga class tonight taught by Filbert who kicks my behind. He’s a very energetic instructor and always makes you try your very hardest when you are in his class. (That and I’ve gotten into the masochistic habit of setting my yoga mat up right in front of where the instructors stand.)
I chatted up quite a few people who are also doing the 30 day challenge so I definitely have challenge buddies to keep me on track as well. I plan on doing this for this entire challenge. I am using this challenge as an excuse to do my 30 day challenge which was on my list of goals for 2012. I’m actually considering going to the full 60 day challenge.
I feel so great and energized right now which is extremely typical after a Bikram yoga class. I’m about to go join my friend for an evening out because she recently lost her job and tomorrow morning I’m already on the books for either the 7am class or the 9:30am class. I think that depends on how late I stay out with my friend tonight.
Today I decided to do the Shoulders and Arms routine of P90x. Seeing some improvements versus the last few times, so getting the hang of it.
Another way of exercise I take is going up the stairs instead of using the elevator. 6 floors up on my arrival, 4 up and down on my first break, 3 for lunch time, and 4 up and down again for my last break. and also 6 down when going out, not to mention I have to walk about 1 kilometer every day to take and get off the bus. Sure started well, can’t complain!
I started Day 1 with early morning breathing exercise ( 20 reps) and ab exercises (3 rounds of 8 repetitions).
Will repeat day 1 exercises plus 2 back exercises, will do them in the evening time
Today didn’t go as I had expected or planned in my pre-work because I have a horrible sinus infection and feel so yucky.
My plans were 30 minutes of yoga this morning, at least 30 minutes of aerobics during the middle of the day, and some type of of exercise this evening…. depending on weather.
Since I felt badly, I did manage to go ahead and get in 15 minutes of a light yoga video and meditation.
This evening it was warm outside so I took a brief walk for about 10 minutes.
Other than that, I tried to drink fluids and rest to feel better.
My plans for tomorrow, besides feeling better hopefully, are to do about 30 minutes aerobic exercise in the morning. The weather is supposed to be warm again. I want to at least walk for 30 minutes.
The weather is unusually warm for Febuary. I am very interested in trying the barefoot jogging that Celes has written about.
Hope everyone’s first day started off well!!!
Hey Netta!
Sorry to hear you’re ill. Hope the sinus infection goes away soon!
Well done on exercising despite feeling ill – you are a champ!
xx
I got in 21 minutes of exercise on the Wii fit (the city I live in isn’t pedestrian friendly and I didn’t have anyone to swim with). I did a run, some yoga and strength exercises. I find it very difficult to stay balanced on the tiny Wii board. I would have done more but I had to go to the grocery store. Also I carried a bunch of heavy things while I was at school.
I was much more active than usual so I think it went pretty well and I think I’m going to swim for Day 2.
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