Stop Hitting “Snooze”

This week’s guest blog post comes from Emily, who invented her own challenge: stop hitting “snooze”. Great Job Emily!

THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE: stop hitting “snooze” & use that time to exercise. Every Day.

I gave myself 3 GROUND RULES: no whining, no sleeping on the yoga mat, and no quitting – even for menstrual cramps. Add no gossiping, and you’ve destroyed any memory of gym class.

As someone who’s constantly seeking better health, I wanted to take the challenge and succeed. Feeling inspired, I planned for 20-30 minutes of cardio plus time for stretching each day. I even formed a back-up plan for anticipated rough mornings – adjust my workout for that day, but not skip it entirely.

To avoid boredom, I prepared a variety of activities. After spending a few days on the elliptical with no resistance and no ramp, I would use the pre-set programs. Once comfortable with a program, I knew I would need to change things up. Luckily, I had some exercise DVDs laying around – Jillian Michaels, Pilates, etc. I also started reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo while on the elliptical, which made the time fly by.

The first morning arrived and my initial instinct was to slap that snooze button into next week. Then I reminded myself that I have a choice. A choice to change and improve my life. A choice to prove to myself that I still have an ounce of self-discipline. And I was sick and tired of giving up my goals because I felt sick and tired. It’s a vicious cycle. I got up and got moving.

Things went great for the first week and a half. I was really proud of myself just for getting out of bed that early, and I even inspired my husband to join me once or twice.

A week and a half in, I realized I cannot undo 11 sedentary years in 11 days. Every muscle from my hips to my knees hurt for days 11-14, mostly thanks to Jillian. It was the kind of hurt that makes you plop your butt into a chair to avoid actually using any muscles. I kept working out though, convinced it would get better.

By day 19, I realized I had more energy (and a strong desire to sleep until 6:00 AM). Seriously, I’m taking fewer, shorter naps on the weekends, and my general sense of well-being has improved. Also, pain levels are down. My back still gives me grief, but I think it’s more from sitting at a computer at work than exercising.

Day 23 arrived, and it was a tough week; I wanted to sleep in everyday, but I stuck with it and I feel really good! I’ve proven a lot to myself. At this point, it truly feels like a habit. I plan to reward myself with a massage after the 30 days.

My plan for the future? I will likely keep this up, with the exception of Sundays. Even God rested on Sundays. As for future challenges, I’m considering daily meditation. Maybe eliminating pop? Maybe no sugar? That is the equivalent of jumping off a bridge onto a frozen lake for me, but that’s what this challenge is about, pushing yourself past self-imposed boundaries.