The 2019 Move It Monday Challenge!
themedalist
Posts: 3,217 Member
We are looking forward to kicking off our 2019 Move It Monday Challenge in partnership with the Move It Monday organization and Quitting the Sitting. Starting Monday, January 21st and running through March 18, this weekly challenge will have us all up and moving towards making 2019 our best year yet! This thread will be the home page for the challenge where each new weekly challenge will be posted, so bookmark it for future reference.
If you're eager to get started (so are we!), here are some first steps we recommend!
1. Join My Fitness Pal: If you aren't already a member of My Fitness Pal, sign-up now. It's free to join and as a member you'll be able to fully participate our Move It Monday challenge.
2. Set a Reminder: It happens to all of us. We intend to do something and then we just forget. Let's not let that happen. Take a few minutes now to set a reminder on your phone, calendar, or whatever system you use to track important events. Make a note to come back to this webpage every Monday and participate in this week's challenge!
You may also want to sign up for the Move It Monday newsletter. Every Monday morning you’ll get tips, suggestions, inspiration, and motivation to start your week strong. And it’s the perfect cue to remember to check back on our Move It Monday Challenge! You can sign up here: https://www.moveitmonday.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/
3. Complete our Pre-Survey: In the Building Healthy Habits group, we want to start and finish together, and tracking where we begin is a great way of doing that! Please complete this brief 6 question survey so we have an idea of where we're all starting in terms of physical activity. All of this information will be anonymous and only aggregate data would be shared. Let’s see just how far we progress by the end of this 9-week program!
4. Read the CNN article: Mondays have power when it comes to changing behaviors. If you haven’t already, check out this CNN article explaining how Monday resolutions are a powerful tool to stick with your health goals, including physical activity. We’ll be doing just that with our Move It Monday Challenge starting on Monday, Jan. 21st!
5. Check out the Move It Monday website: Move It Monday is an international non-profit initiative that helps individuals, communities and organizations kick off the week with exercise. We’re partnering with them to provide a 9-week program just for you! Check out their website to see all the fun tips and resources you can start using today to get moving.
6. Check out the Quitting the Sitting website: Quitting the Sitting is a grassroots organization founded in 2015 by a group of My Fitness Pal friends who decided to stop sitting so much and start moving towards a happier, healthier life. And they want you to join them!
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Great article. I’m going to share it with my healthy group on facebook.4
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I'd like to do this. Right now I work out Tues, Thurs and Saturday. Other days are "supposed" be walking days - but when the weather is cold I tend to chicken out.5
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Hoping to recruit a few friends and family members!3
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Sounds like fun!
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I'm in. I completed the 6 questions and read the blogs. I am looking forward to this challenge!4
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allmannerofthings wrote: »I'd like to do this. Right now I work out Tues, Thurs and Saturday. Other days are "supposed" be walking days - but when the weather is cold I tend to chicken out.
Hi! Your regularly scheduled workouts is inspiring to me who is pretty willy-nilly about exercise days! You could count walking on Mondays as moving, so it sounds like you've got it covered. I know what you mean about cold weather! And the days that it warms up and the snow melts, it's a muddy mess around here. I do know that even if it's cold out I enjoy the time I'm out there once I make the decision to bundle up and just DO IT!
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@allmannerofthings Your post and my reply reminded me of how great it is to spend time outside so I did my classical stretch and then went out for a short hike today 💪🏻❤️2
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One of the suggestions we have before we get started on January 21st is to set a reminder each week to come back to this page and check out the Monday challenge. Most of us are accustomed to setting reminders on our phones and calendars. But I have another suggestion. Sign up for the Move It Monday newsletter! Every Monday morning you’ll get tips, suggestions, inspiration, and motivation to start your week strong. And it’s the perfect cue to remember to check back on our Move It Monday Challenge!
It’s one of my favorite newsletters. You can sign up here:
https://www.moveitmonday.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/
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I am in! So excited to do this!2
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I am in!! This is coming at the right time! I woke up this morning with making changes on my mind and actually took the first step by logging into MFP. Can't wait to generate change in myself over the next 9 weeks.2
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I tried to sign up for the newsletter but it keeps asking me for a zip code. I don't have a zip code only a postal code. Is this not open to Canadians?? https://www.moveitmonday.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/
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I tried to sign up for the newsletter but it keeps asking me for a zip code. I don't have a zip code only a postal code. Is this not open to Canadians?? https://www.moveitmonday.org/subscribe-to-our-newsletter/
Hi @Joymc41, I just checked with the Move It Monday organization. Zip Code isn’t required, so you can just ignore that field. Or you could put in your postal code. I’m guessing that the question is asked so that they have an idea of where their users are from.
Yes, Canadians and everyone are most welcome!
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I'm in! I'm glad I took time tonight to log on and try to catch up! Monday the 21st is coming quick! I signed up for the newsletter. So excited!1
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I have subscribed for the newsletter and have set a reminder on my phone. I can't wait to get started.1
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Signed up for the newsletter and ready to go!2
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I'm in and signed up also! It is awesome to see many new participants here for this special challenge!
@themedalist, That was a great suggestion to sign up for the newsletter and reminders as a help since this will be a new kind of challenge. I'll be needing to check in earlier than I usually do on Mondays.Thanks.
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I can’t wait to get started on Monday and your enthusiasm is so motivating to me!
I wanted to let you know when I will be posting the Monday challenges. We all live in different parts of the globe and as a result, Monday has a different start time for each of us. Generally speaking, I’ll be posting the Monday challenge on Sunday evening (US Eastern time). But this Saturday night through Sunday we are expecting a major winter storm in the Northeastern US that will give us up to 2 feet of new snow. Yikes! I live in a small town in New Hampshire and there’s a decent chance the storm will knock out our electricity. So I’m going to post our first week’s Monday challenge this Saturday evening. Then I’ll make a thermos of coffee for the next morning (I take no chances with coffee!), stoke up the wood stove, and ride out the storm.
Very likely I’ll have cell phone coverage and will be able to read and respond to your posts about our first challenge even if I don’t have power, but posting early assures there are no hiccups.
It’s almost Monday! Yay!5 -
@themedalist Oh my gosh! I haven't seen the weather! You sure are getting hit this winter! I live in Wisconsin and my city is nicknamed the frozen tundra (football fans know where that is...) and I can see the ground in places around here! I wonder if the storm is coming our way. I know we are getting an arctic blast of COLD but we have mostly freezing rain and glare ice everywhere.
I had to laugh at your thermos of coffee! I am the same way! Same thing I worry about....I went and bought an old-time coffee pot that can be set on the side burner of our gas grill in case our electricity goes out, so I can perculate a pot! LOL! We all have priorities. Besides the no electricity thing, sitting next to a nice wood stove with a hot cup of coffee watching it snow sounds so serene...
I'm excited about Monday too! Thanks again, Denise, for all you do! You are so very appreciated by us all!
Stay safe, stay warm and stay caffeinated! :flowerforyou:
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I signed in and am excited to get started!
I already do Meatless Mondays and we have expanded to 3-4 meatless days each week, so this idea does work.
Now, if themedalist could send some of that snow to Michigan, I'd be even more excited! :laugh:4 -
Ok. I cant wait to Monday! I use to have my own office. We moved to a newly built hospital on January 12, 2019. It's beautiful but...... now I'm in a cubicle, no hospital gym anymore, so now it's harder for me to get my steps. I use to do workout tapes in my office. We do have a small walking path in the basement and the cafeteria is farther, so I can get some of my steps that way.
This get moving Monday will help me try to be creative with getting steps. I'm trying to focus on the positive. I have a job, I get to make my own schedule and I have a great ER Director.
I'm working nights tonight, per choice. It's so quiet and I can do some mini steps at my cubicle since nobody is here.
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Hi! It’s great to see all the new members here this week. Welcome! Time to gear up for Monday and beyond!!!3
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Hi! It’s great to see all the new members here this week. Welcome! Time to gear up for Monday and beyond!!!
I agree, @nebslp! I am so excited to see so many new faces. Lots of new members who will soon discover why Move It Monday is a favorite activity around here: because exercising on Mondays is a great launching point for the rest of the week and sets just the right tone.
I wanted to say something about the kinds of challenges we will be having. Each of the challenges have been carefully selected because we believe that they have broad appeal and require no special equipment and can be done by people of all fitness levels. That said, it is tricky to find one activity that will work for everyone. We hope you’ll participate in the recommended challenge because it’s fun to do something as a group and get feedback from you on how it goes. But if a particular activity doesn’t work for you, find an exercise that does work and do that instead. Don’t sit out the week —find something else! And if you want to supplement the Monday challenge with a favorite activity of yours, that’s great too.
What I want for each of us is to find an exercise that we enjoy and will want to keep doing, week after week, year after year. That’s where the benefit to your health lies —-in small, sustainable actions that you keep doing because you see and feel the difference that regular exercise makes in your life. I truly believe that if you stay with us each Monday through March, you’ll still be exercising each week come the end of the year. There’s magic in Mondays. Give it a fair chance and I think you’ll agree.
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Our first challenge is intended to bring us all on the same page and introduce the Move It Monday concept a bit further. There are a several suggested activities -- let us know how you got moving this Monday!
Use Monday to Stay on the Right Track
New routines can take some time to get going. If you’ve been trying to make your day more active, use this Monday to check in on your progress and to stay on track. Did you use January to make a new resolution? Consider Mondays instead! You can resolve to keep moving and try new activities every week. You haven’t fallen off the wagon yet! You might just need to make some minor adjustments.
Staying active can become second nature to you no matter what your fitness level is. In the beginning, keep track of how often you get up and move throughout the day and how much time you spend moving.
Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or about 30 minutes per day, five days a week. You can build up to that kind of goal over time. For now, draw up an hourly schedule and note when you get up and what you do. If you find that you’re sitting for a long period of time, find an activity that will help break up that block of time.
You can use every Monday to reset your practice, add to it, or change it up if you want to do something more or less challenging. Changing your lifestyle is not a sprint – it can be done incrementally, over the course of time. You can hit the “reset” button every Monday and reach new goals every week!
Here are a few simple exercises that will keep you moving throughout the day:
Mini workouts: Whenever you can find a few moments, do quick exercises in short bursts that will get your heart beating and muscles moving!
Chair yoga: If you can’t leave your desk, take some time to stretch and prevent yourself from getting stiff. Bonus: A little yoga will help you reduce stress!
Walking: Walking is real exercise. Consider organizing or walking a Monday Mile. But if you can’t find the time to do that, take short walks throughout the day. Park your car further away from your destination instead of finding the closest spot. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during conversations or meetings at work. Every step counts!
It’s never too late to start being more active on a daily basis. Monday is a great day to start adding a little bit more movement to your day that can continue through the rest of the week!
Connect with us to learn more Move It Monday tips on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Original post: https://www.moveitmonday.org/monday-right-track/
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Thanks @themedalist for all you do!2
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prgirl39mfp wrote: »Thanks @themedalist for all you do!
You’re welcome! I thoroughly enjoy this group. We can’t help but get older, but if we cultivate healthy habits and embrace personal growth, we can get better as we age.
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I had a great plan of action for moving more every single day and followed through from Oct 1-December 18, and then I allowed the holidays and responsibilities to take me off course. I’m excited to use the Move It Monday Week 1 to get back on track. The detour ends now! Thanks, Denise.4
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Thanks for making this group part of your storm preparations, @themedalist !
Some of your suggestions really resonate with me. I used to think the "park further away" advice was for wimps, but when I started wearing a Fitbit, I saw how much that actually can add to my daily activity. I take that one step further and purposely park in a lot in the other side of campus so that I "walk to work" from the that lot.
Another great suggestion is the chair yoga. I found a video I really like and use it on my long work days, so I don't skip my yoga in those days.7 -
Thanks for the motivation @themedalist !! Great suggestions on here.4
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I think it's appropriate that we start our challenge on Martin Luther King Day. Dr. King's counsel to "Take the first step" is beautifully applicable to starting a healthy lifestyle. If you are new to exercise, you won't see all the benefits right away. But if you make exercise a priority in your life, it won't be long before you experience what we've experienced: more energy, fewer aches and pains, a tremendous sense of accomplishment, and that broad smile on your doctor's face when she tells you you are no longer pre-diabetic. A better life IS waiting for you, but you have to MOVE to go get it!
Let's take the first step today!
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After traveling the past two weeks for work, and another 9 day trip coming up on the 30th, I need this!! I've been trying to get in steps and workouts, but it's starting to become more of a challenge and struggle with the crazy hours. On days when I am home and at the office, I'll continue to only take the 3 flights of stairs rather than the elevator. I try to do that at hotels as well, as long as I'm not on the 10th floor.3
