03-27-2023 13:02 - edited 03-27-2023 13:03
03-27-2023 13:02 - edited 03-27-2023 13:03
A Marathon for Stress-Free April? Well, read on …
April is Stress Awareness Month and exercise is GOOD for stress reduction, right? Ummm, maybe. Look, I know a lot of Fitbitters want to run a marathon, but if success is trying to accomplish that in a few hours, or even a day, it sounds a little crazy! So try a 30-Day Marathon instead.This April commit to one mile, walk or run, every day. Maybe (gulp) even if it is raining. But don't stress! If it is raining really hard step inside or take a day off. A marathon is only 26 miles.
I’ve always been a fan of getting my exercise outside where I can see the earth, the trees, the flowers, the bees, and for April, rain (likely) or shine, I’m going out to see that one stress-free day at a time. Come along and set up some month-long fitness goals as well — a little challenge is good, but for Stress Awareness Month, don’t push too hard. Focus on the joy of daily exercise.
How It Works
The primary purpose of these monthly challenges is to keep track of your daily step goals for the month; though many of us track other things as well, like body weight exercises, sleep, trips to the gym, logging food, etc. This is not a competition to see who can do the most of whatever, instead it is a challenge to measure your consistency. So whether you do 1k, 5k, 10k or even 40k steps a day, this is measuring how many days out of the monthly total you can hit your goal.
Some might have a constant goal of 10k steps every single day and others might have a variable goal throughout the week, (and some might even plan days off!) for example.
Monday -> Friday = 10k steps a day
Sat & Sun = “6k steps a day,” or “not tracking”
Regardless of how you structure your daily goals, the only thing that matters for the monthly challenge is whether or not you reach what you set out to do.
Suggested Posting Format
1) Post either your constant or variable step goal.
2) Keep track of the # of daily goals achieved out of the monthly minimum and or monthly total
Picture Scavenger Hunt — 3 pictures
For Stress Awareness April how about some pictures of whatever brings a smile to your face? Here's one of my dog Jayhawk who wonders why it gets so dark when he goes for his kong.
Is there really food in there?
Posting
Although you certainly don’t have to post daily, you’ll likely stay closer to what you set out to do by updating the thread several times/week
Injury Notice
If you injure yourself during the month and need to scale back due to the injury, then all you have to do is adjust your goal for that period. If you normally do 10k steps a day but pull a hamstring and decide to do minimal walking (2k steps a day), then all you have to do is change your goal.
Scott | Baltimore MD
Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro
04-15-2023 07:55
04-15-2023 07:55
15 April
1.6 km (1 mile) per day for 26 days 11/26 (marathon goal)
10,000 steps a day for 20 days 8/20
12 days over 12,000 4/12
5 days over 15,000 steps 2/5
20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance) 20/20
3 Scavenger Hunt pics 1/3
250km on my bike 197/250
Helen | Western Australia
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
04-15-2023 13:28
04-15-2023 13:28
April Stress-Free Marathon, Day 14
150 floors every day that I'm at home in Shropshire | 14/30 |
10 miles at least with Walter the collie every day, wherever we are. | 14/30 |
Play the piano to Walter every day. | 14/30 |
In bed by midnight ever day.. | 14/30 |
..and by 11pm at least 5 days in every 7. Caught up! | 10/14 |
Cleaning/DIY/gardening every day when I'm at home. | 14/30 |
30,000 steps every day. | 14/10 |
3 Scavenger Hunt photos | 1/3 |
I need to have my camera ready!
04-15-2023 20:04
04-15-2023 20:04
Stress Free Day 15 (tax day!)
17K steps/day for 25 days | 12/25 | |
1 pushup | 15/25 | |
10 weight-lifting days | 6/14 | |
post 3 scavenger pics | 3/3 | |
Sleep 6:00 hours + 15 days or more during the month | 11/15 | |
1 pull-up (modified) | 15/25 | |
Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 25 days | 13/25 | |
13 Dry (no alcohol) days | 4/15 | |
Beat April 2022 bike mileage (260.9 miles) | 244.1 |
Not everyone on Baltimore likes rental scooters 😂
Scott | Baltimore MD
Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro
04-17-2023 04:59
04-17-2023 04:59
Stress-Free Marathon April 14 through 16
17.7k Steps/Day Weekdays:-/20
9.5K Steps/Day Weekends: 3/10
2000 Calorie Limit/Day: 15/30
IF Daily (12 hr weekday/16:8 weekend): 13/30
Weights 2x/week: 2/8
Stretch 4x/week: -/15
Squats 30/day: 2/10
80oz Water daily: 4/30
Lose 3 pounds: --/3
Photo Scavenger Hunt: -/3
Total Steps: 167,174/450,000
@Baltoscott That's awful heat for this time of the year! We cooled off a bit. Today we are down to the mid 40s, possibly into the 50s with rain. I watched leaves come out in maybe a 24-hour window. Even with the chill, I had to open my office windows. It was 80.5 in my office. I'm at least down to 78. 😫
04-17-2023 06:11
04-17-2023 06:11
17 April
1.6 km (1 mile) per day for 26 days 12/26 (marathon goal)
10,000 steps a day for 20 days 9/20
12 days over 12,000 4/12
5 days over 15,000 steps 2/5
20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance) 22/20
3 Scavenger Hunt pics 1/3
250km on my bike 248/250
Helen | Western Australia
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
04-17-2023 12:15
04-17-2023 12:15
Stress-free April - Day 14,15,16,17
8,000 steps: 9/15 days
10,000 steps: 5/5 days
12,000 steps: 1/4 days
Rebounding: 8/15 days
Weights 2x/week: 6/8 days
Blue Days: 6/10 days
Lose 2 kilos (starting weight: 58.3): -.1
Scavenger Hunt Pics: 1/3
04-17-2023 13:48
04-17-2023 13:48
Walter inventing his own amusement with his favourite pursuit - the effects of gravity on a tennis ball.
The camera doesn't really show that he's above the ball and it's on a steep downward path.
04-17-2023 16:58
04-17-2023 16:58
Stress Free Marathon April 2023 Challenge @ April 15th
My challenge this month is to continue with my steps to accomplish my goal for the year of 3,650,000 steps
Now that I have been with Fitbit for a year I would like to beat last years numbers
To date for the year I have reached 1,222,804/3,650,000 steps
Goals to beat:
April 2023/April 2022
200,026/375,909 steps
177/324 floors
138.66/261.94 km
30 Day Marathon (1 mile =1.6 km)
/30
Bike Ride (once the snow goes away)
1/4 (14 km bike ride one night after dinner)
Loose 2 lbs
2/2
Scavenger Hunt pics of things that make me happy (can only post 3?)
3/3
04-18-2023 04:55
04-18-2023 04:55
Stress-Free Marathon April 17
17.7k Steps/Day Weekdays:-/20
9.5K Steps/Day Weekends: 3/10
2000 Calorie Limit/Day: 16/30
IF Daily (12 hr weekday/16:8 weekend): 14/30
Weights 2x/week: 2/8
Stretch 4x/week: -/15
Squats 30/day: 2/10
80oz Water daily: 4/30
Lose 3 pounds: --/3
Photo Scavenger Hunt: -/3
Total Steps: 182,326/450,000
04-18-2023 07:32
04-18-2023 07:32
Stress-free April 17th update
13k steps per day - 9/16 days
10k steps per day - 3/4 days
16k steps per day - 2/4 days
18k steps per day - -2/3 days
over 20k steps per day - 1/2 days #1-(24,789)
Weights - 7/12 days
Yoga/pilates/stretch - 7/12 days
90 oz Water every day - 16/30
8 pound weight loss - 4.1 pounds lost
3 (at least) for photo scavenger hunt. 2/3
Crazy warm here in Central Illinois as well..average temps are around 65 degrees but have been reaching 84 degrees on a few days last week. I am suffering from some severe allergies, but the show goes on.. Our trees below bloomed in a matter of 3 days! So therein is the beauty 🙂
04-19-2023 04:52
04-19-2023 04:52
Stress-Free Marathon April 18
17.7k Steps/Day Weekdays:-/20
9.5K Steps/Day Weekends: 4/10
2000 Calorie Limit/Day: 17/30
IF Daily (12 hr weekday/16:8 weekend): 15/30
Weights 2x/week: 2/8
Stretch 4x/week: -/15
Squats 30/day: 2/10
80oz Water daily: 4/30
Lose 3 pounds: --/3
Photo Scavenger Hunt: -/3
Total Steps: 196,262/450,000
What a switch in weather. We went from chilly, to the 80s, and now we are back in the 30s-40s. I feel like I've to carry around a suitcase to work because I never know how the weather will go. 🤣
04-19-2023 05:33
04-19-2023 05:33
@Vidd- Walter makes me smile. Jayhawk is pretty good with the drop and give commands and we chained that behavior into a variation of catch. I give him a ball and send him to the top of a playground slide and then tell him to drop it down the slide. It rolls down to me and I catch it and then throw it back to him at the top. An indoor variation involves my other dog Cali. Jayhawk drops the ball from the top of the stairs, Cali catches it, gives it to me, I throw it to Jayhawk, and then the whole cycle goes again.
Scott | Baltimore MD
Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro
04-19-2023 05:38
04-19-2023 05:38
19 April
1.6 km (1 mile) per day for 26 days 14/26 (marathon goal)
10,000 steps a day for 20 days 10/20
12 days over 12,000 4/12
5 days over 15,000 steps 2/5
20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance) 25/20
3 Scavenger Hunt pics 1/3
250km on my bike 248/250
Helen | Western Australia
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
04-20-2023 04:50
04-20-2023 04:50
Stress-Free Marathon April 19
17.7k Steps/Day Weekdays:-/20
9.5K Steps/Day Weekends: 4/10
2000 Calorie Limit/Day: 18/30
IF Daily (12 hr weekday/16:8 weekend): 16/30
Weights 2x/week: 2/8
Stretch 4x/week: -/15
Squats 30/day: 2/10
80oz Water daily: 4/30
Lose 3 pounds: --/3
Photo Scavenger Hunt: -/3
Total Steps: 212,126/450,000
04-20-2023 05:22 - edited 04-20-2023 05:22
04-20-2023 05:22 - edited 04-20-2023 05:22
20 April
1.6 km (1 mile) per day for 26 days 15/26 (marathon goal)
10,000 steps a day for 20 days 11/20
12 days over 12,000 5/12
5 days over 15,000 steps 2/5
20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance) 26/20
3 Scavenger Hunt pics 1/3
250km on my bike 248/250
Helen | Western Australia
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
04-20-2023 11:48
04-20-2023 11:48
Stress-free April - Day 18,19,20
8,000 steps: 11/15 days
10,000 steps: 5/5 days
12,000 steps: 2/4 days
Rebounding: 9/15 days
Weights 2x/week: 6/8 days
Blue Days: 7/10 days
Lose 2 kilos (starting weight: 58.3): -.1
Scavenger Hunt Pics: 1/3
04-21-2023 05:07
04-21-2023 05:07
Stress-Free Marathon April 20
17.7k Steps/Day Weekdays:-/20
9.5K Steps/Day Weekends: 4/10
2000 Calorie Limit/Day: 19/30
IF Daily (12 hr weekday/16:8 weekend): 17/30
Weights 2x/week: 2/8
Stretch 4x/week: -/15
Squats 30/day: 2/10
80oz Water daily: 4/30
Lose 3 pounds: --/3
Photo Scavenger Hunt: -/3
Total Steps: 220,604/450,000
04-21-2023 21:19
04-21-2023 21:19
21 April
1.6 km (1 mile) per day for 26 days 16/26 (marathon goal)
10,000 steps a day for 20 days 12/20
12 days over 12,000 6/12
5 days over 15,000 steps 3/5
20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance) 27/20
3 Scavenger Hunt pics 1/3
250km on my bike 248/250
Helen | Western Australia
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
04-22-2023 13:44 - edited 04-22-2023 13:44
04-22-2023 13:44 - edited 04-22-2023 13:44
@Baltoscott That sounds like excellent canine fun. Walter's favourite situation is when the slope goes down to a stream. He'll then wade a long the stream bed, tracking the ball. The effectiveness of this depends on the current - our water levels can fluctuate quite a bit - so sometimes he has to pick the ball up and give it a fresh drop, but when the water is fast, it's race to get the ball back before it heads off and away.
April Stress-Free Marathon, Day 21
150 floors every day that I'm at home in Shropshire | 21/30 |
10 miles at least with Walter the collie every day, wherever we are. | 21/30 |
Play the piano to Walter every day. | 21/30 |
In bed by midnight ever day.. | 21/30 |
..and by 11pm at least 5 days in every 7. Caught up! | 17/21 |
Cleaning/DIY/gardening every day when I'm at home. | 21/30 |
30,000 steps every day. | 21/30 |
3 Scavenger Hunt photos | 2/3 |
04-22-2023 22:20
04-22-2023 22:20
Stress-free April - Day 21,22
8,000 steps: 11/15 days
10,000 steps: 6/5 days
12,000 steps: 3/4 days
Rebounding: 9/15 days
Weights 2x/week: 7/8 days
Blue Days: 7/10 days
Lose 2 kilos (starting weight: 58.3): -.1
Scavenger Hunt Pics: 1/3