I was really pleased that both the Moosomin World Spectator and Northwestern Ontario's Northern Sun News ran articles about the 10,000 Kettlebells for Parkinson's fitness challenge this week. Both have helped with our vision of raising awareness about Parkinson's disease.
Thank you to both newspapers for your support!
Wednesday, 3 February 2016
DAY 3: Fitness
Regardless of why we joined up for this challenge, it is obvious that there is a buzz going on. People where I work have been talking about their challenge activities, and some have even been considering fitness goals and activities well beyond February. That is a significant effect!
We're early into this challenge, but the people involved seem to be pumped up. I've even heard from more than one that they can already see that they need to revise their original goal - upward.
When you exercise, you stress your body. As your body recovers from the workout, it responds by adapting - by rebuilding itself stronger than before to handle the increased physical stress of the exercise. What that means is that your body will be able to sustain that original level of intensity for a longer time, or it will be able to sustain a more intense workout in the same amount of time.
Doing this challenge for a month, you will probably notice that you get less tired doing the same amount of exercise. That means your body is adapting to the exercise. You may also notice that you can actually do the same work faster over time. My suggestion is that you continue increasing your amount of effort and/or your time/number of reps in gradual upward steps, which will keep challenging your body to physically adapt to more and more effort.
If you like to keep a log or diary of your exercise activity you will be able to see this effect in action. Record things like number of repetitions, how many minutes it takes you to do a certain task, how many minutes you can hold a position like plank, how fast you run, what weights you are lifting, etc. You'll probably amaze yourself.
A good fitness challenge should push your limits in a reasonable way, and it should basically showcase your body's ability to adapt to physical exercise. The net result, over a month, should be a noticeable increase in your ability to do physical tasks. That means you will become increasingly better-suited to do physically active tasks, and that is what is known as "fitness".
Keep challenging your limits, and strive to improve your overall fitness. Send me some stories of your experiences as you take charge of improving your personal fitness.
We're early into this challenge, but the people involved seem to be pumped up. I've even heard from more than one that they can already see that they need to revise their original goal - upward.
When you exercise, you stress your body. As your body recovers from the workout, it responds by adapting - by rebuilding itself stronger than before to handle the increased physical stress of the exercise. What that means is that your body will be able to sustain that original level of intensity for a longer time, or it will be able to sustain a more intense workout in the same amount of time.
Doing this challenge for a month, you will probably notice that you get less tired doing the same amount of exercise. That means your body is adapting to the exercise. You may also notice that you can actually do the same work faster over time. My suggestion is that you continue increasing your amount of effort and/or your time/number of reps in gradual upward steps, which will keep challenging your body to physically adapt to more and more effort.
If you like to keep a log or diary of your exercise activity you will be able to see this effect in action. Record things like number of repetitions, how many minutes it takes you to do a certain task, how many minutes you can hold a position like plank, how fast you run, what weights you are lifting, etc. You'll probably amaze yourself.
A good fitness challenge should push your limits in a reasonable way, and it should basically showcase your body's ability to adapt to physical exercise. The net result, over a month, should be a noticeable increase in your ability to do physical tasks. That means you will become increasingly better-suited to do physically active tasks, and that is what is known as "fitness".
Keep challenging your limits, and strive to improve your overall fitness. Send me some stories of your experiences as you take charge of improving your personal fitness.
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
DAY 2: Only 28 Days to go.
Congratulations to everyone who started the challenge yesterday. That excitement will probably last for a few days, but don't be surprised if it fades and you lose enthusiasm. But you're not in it for the shiny track suit (I hope)! You want to improve your fitness, and that requires planning, work and discipline. This month, though, you are not alone. There is a growing group of people working along with you. Keep focused on accomplishing your goal, one month away.
Miles have been walked. Planks have been held, a variety of exercise circuits have been performed, and I personally know of over 1440 Kettlebells that have been swung! If you think about it, every day's workout is a small goal accomplished along the way to a bigger goal.
Here are a few tips to keep you tracking toward your February fitness goal:
1. Challenge yourself by pushing your limits (be reasonable)
2. Stay well-hydrated.
3. Eat nutritious food in sensible amounts. Remember - if you're working harder than usual, you'll need more food than usual. But be sensible.
4. Get a good night sleep as often as you can.
5. Stay in touch with others doing the challenge to keep your encouragement tank full.
Miles have been walked. Planks have been held, a variety of exercise circuits have been performed, and I personally know of over 1440 Kettlebells that have been swung! If you think about it, every day's workout is a small goal accomplished along the way to a bigger goal.
Here are a few tips to keep you tracking toward your February fitness goal:
1. Challenge yourself by pushing your limits (be reasonable)
2. Stay well-hydrated.
3. Eat nutritious food in sensible amounts. Remember - if you're working harder than usual, you'll need more food than usual. But be sensible.
4. Get a good night sleep as often as you can.
5. Stay in touch with others doing the challenge to keep your encouragement tank full.
Monday, 1 February 2016
DAY 1. Let the Challenge Begin!
Welcome to Day 1 of the 10,000 Kettlebells for Parkinson's Challenge. We are very excited about how the project has been gaining momentum. It is all about doing things that push you beyond your current abilities. It is a commitment to invest in your own wellness and fitness level. It is an opportunity to do something a bit (or a lot) out of your comfort zone in order to make a statement.
As you invest in yourself, you are also supporting research which ultimately improves the lives of people suffering with progressive movement disorders.
Let us know how you're doing as we go through the challenge this month. Hearing from you through your comments or by email means a lot. And if you need some encouragement - just ask!
Richard
As you invest in yourself, you are also supporting research which ultimately improves the lives of people suffering with progressive movement disorders.
Let us know how you're doing as we go through the challenge this month. Hearing from you through your comments or by email means a lot. And if you need some encouragement - just ask!
Richard
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