Active April Challenge 2020

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baconslave
baconslave Posts: 6,954 Member
It's Active April folks.
Time to get moving.
I know, I know! How the hades are you going to get active when you're stuck in your home like some awful apocalypse movie? NEAT, all of the bazillion YouTube vids and workout streaming services, home gym, walking outside in areas where you can distance from people-that's how.
We can do this!
No need to make your "heart gargle in your throat." Unless that's what you're into. ;)
Active April is about making your goal an improvement in your fitness. As Elizabeth Benton always says, "Whatever constitutes an improvement for YOU. Do that."

So whether you want to train for a 5k or 10k, start HIITing your head off, or just start exercising, period, it's all good.
If your exercise is already on-point, but you'd like to increase your daily NEAT burn, that's a great target as well. (What is NEAT, consult this thread from which I have been inspired: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1)

Go ahead and post your goals.
Update us daily and receive encouragement, workout suggestions, and support from your compatriots in the challenge.
Go get it!
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Replies

  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,954 Member
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    In my reports for this challenge, I suggest we report our specific workout. So that's what I'm going to do. My goal this month is to move back up to the 20lb dumbbells for my strength workouts and increase strength. I had been using them, but I got a shoulder injury and deloaded to 15 but it's been slow going getting back up there. Due to chronic fatigue from my Sjogren's bullcrap (yay :unamused: ) my strength isn't always there, and I've been unable to progress for a long time. We'll see what I can do this month.

    Also, keeping NEAT up is a struggle. I homeschool which is pretty sedentary most of the day as I have to sit in the same room as my younger kids or they just screw around for hours and get nothing done.
    I'm good about getting my cardio days in. But I need to add one exercise day on the weekend more regularly. Let's see if I can work that in.
  • Cadori
    Cadori Posts: 4,810 Member
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    <3 Hoping for 20 minute walks after each meal (our neighborhood is rural). That's it for now.
  • amckholmes
    amckholmes Posts: 119 Member
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    As we are staying at our very remote, small cottage for the foreseeable future, my activity is fully dependent on the weather. I am struggling with the emotional aspects of this chaotic time, so movement is about the most I can commit to for April! It would be awesome to over-perform this month too :) Bring on the spring weather!

    My goal is steps.
    5 days @20,000
    10 days @15,000
    10 days @10,000
    5 days @5,000
  • AKTipsyCat
    AKTipsyCat Posts: 240 Member
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    I'm in... I just want to average my 10K steps a day - and work my way up to doing the Couch to 5K thing...
  • weatherking2019
    weatherking2019 Posts: 943 Member
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    Thank you @baconslave for the Active April!

    1. Mini Break workouts (10 min x 4, 5 times)
    2. Eat low carb
    3. Limit drinks to weekends
    4. Close all 3rings on Apple Watch (stand, move, exercise) daily.
  • taylok23
    taylok23 Posts: 818 Member
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    I’m in for April!

    I’ll focus on portions and cutting back on mindless snacking. My macros are good but CICO is not where I would like. Exercise is second nature but I’ll keep a focus on NEAT and closing all three rings on my watch as well.
  • aquariansmb
    aquariansmb Posts: 44 Member
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    I’d like to get in on this. With 5 of us (3 teenagers) all in the house at the same time now, this is a needed physical AND mental challenge.

    Daily:
    Improve NEAT/Daily Steps by taking a break from sitting at the computer every hour for 10 minutes as much as possible. If I can’t walk away due to being on a call, I’ll do a little desk dancing 😉.

    Get outside to walk the neighborhood at least once a day when the weather is nice or use the treadmill when it’s not.

    This will be my starting point as I ease back into things. Thanks for starting this!
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,954 Member
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    @aquariansmb You found it! :) I have 4 kids. 2 teens, 1 tween, and the youngest is 9. They are all high energy and when they get bored OH MY WORD save me! Wishing you sanity. <3



    Anyone who wants to keep incorporating mindfulness in their goals are more than welcome.

    It's April 1st, folks. We woke up to snow on the peak of the mtn across from us. Since I'm stuck at home, I wouldn't have minded some on the ground for us as well. It wasn't quite chill enough last night.

    Today is a cardio day for me, but since it's wet and cold out it will be either the Dreadmill, or 5 Boosted Miles by Leslie Sansone for me today. Also making sure I get 11 or 12k steps today.

    Get your bodies moving today, me hearties!
  • tishsmith101
    tishsmith101 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    Ok here are my goals as they spill out of my brain LOL

    My oldest (29) bought me more handweigts for Xmas so now I have 2, 3, 5, 8 and 10 lbs weights. I need to use them a minimum of twice a week.

    Cardio (walking, aerobics or biking) needs to get done 3 days a week if I'm going to get back on the weight loss/fat burning train.

    Will check out the NEAT link for more info. I know I can always improve on that.
  • vkrenz
    vkrenz Posts: 183 Member
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    Very excited for Active April. I'm not going to let the COVID get me down.

    1. >15,000 steps daily (Fitbit data)
    2. > 3,000 calories burned daily (Fitbit data)
    3. Low carb < 35 net and low calorie < 1,500 day
    4. Close the active ring on Fitbit. Set at 250 an hour. I have a sedentary job so I usually get up and walk in place for awhile to get the blood flowing.

    Good luck everybody! Guess it's not luck, it's a lot of hard work and persistence, so we can do this.
  • Haggie8877
    Haggie8877 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm in! I have two sons living with me, 21 and 19. We brought in youngest sons weight set yesterday in house (cold out in garage. Not that I was doing any reps, he he...) I'm down from 200 to 174.4 haven't seen that number in forever! I started writing down what I eat on a piece of paper. I need to start logging, and get on weight set and just start!
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    4/1 was good:

    BEAST everyday o:)
    eat within goal everyday >:)
    no alcohol everyday o:)

    I'm not going to worry about the food, my protein was high and my carbs were within goal, and I'll give it a few days to get back into the swing of tracking and the new goals.
  • aquariansmb
    aquariansmb Posts: 44 Member
    edited April 2020
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    Day 1 in the books. We had a break from rain today so my son (15) and I took two short walks around the neighborhood. I’m enjoying the time not just for the fresh air and break from the inside but also these nice bits of quality time.

    Definitely was moving a lot today and closed all 3 rings on my iWatch.
  • weatherking2019
    weatherking2019 Posts: 943 Member
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    1. Mini Break workouts (10 min x 4, 5 times)
    2. Eat low carb
    3. Limit drinks to weekends
    4. Close all 3rings on Apple Watch (stand, move, exercise) daily.

    4/1 ✔everything but #3. I had one drink.
    I signed up for the OTF Marathon challenge for April. Will see how it goes!

    509d6pq5bp2u.jpeg
  • supergal3
    supergal3 Posts: 523 Member
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    4/1
    Exercise was good today, calories were mediocre. I think I can do a little better and will try to push myself these next few days.
  • vkrenz
    vkrenz Posts: 183 Member
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    4/1 check in

    1. >15,000 steps daily (Fitbit data), got it! 15,350
    2. > 3,000 calories burned daily (Fitbit data), got this one too, 3,142
    3. Low carb < 35 net and low calorie < 1,500 day, success
    4. Close the active ring on Fitbit. Set at 250 an hour. got it!

    Goals will be easier if able to get outside, the weather has been pretty good, 50's and no rain with normal Spring winds.

    @Cadori , so sorry to hear about empty food shelves. Our area is having trouble keeping paper products and bread stocked but has been able to keep up with meat, dairy, and canned vegetables for the most part. I hope to score some toilet paper this weekend, I haven't been able to find any since this COVID started. My sister has been blessing me with rolls.

    Everybody stay safe out there...
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,954 Member
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    Cadori wrote: »
    1 1/2 mile walk while on break from work. Done. :) I hope to get that up to 3 miles/day for as long as I can.

    Eating as well as possible. We're in the land of bare grocery stores and have been on lockdown for weeks, so we're eating a lot of beans and rice. It is what it is for now. It's hard to get fresh vegetables and we're rationing our meat supply (we have a decent amount for now, but who knows how long it will have to last?)

    It's like that here, too, though we were able to make it mid-AM Saturday and got some milk and lettuce and broccoli crowns. Carrots. And some fruit. A couple bags of frozen broccoli cuts, which are indeed mostly cuts. :rage: We made sure to take only what we needed and not more. But there weren't more than a couple packages of chicken (we got one) and the bigger slabs of meat no one had gotten yet since they are pricier due to the poundage. So we did get a pork shoulder and a ham. Which in our family doesn't last as long as you'd think. But I bet you know what that's like. And we have no excuse here in NE TN as our reported cases are low (they aren't testing) but people are just being hoarding jerks. I hope things look up for you soon.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,954 Member
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    4/1:
    Got in a Dreadmill walk of 1hr 20min. Inclined the whole time, as it is ancient and the incline is a structural setting. I literally have to turn off, get off, lift up the walking deck and do something to the legs to change it. So not as many steps as one would like but the effort was there. Got between 11k and 12K steps so I know NEAT was locked-in.
    Today is strength so I'll need to make sure I pace around a bit and if it's dry enough out take a couple laps to the yard to make sure I get 5-6K steps today.

  • taylok23
    taylok23 Posts: 818 Member
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    4/1 check in:
    NEAT was on point leading to my best active day ever according to my watch rings. Got a run on the treadmill and a dog walk.

    Portions turned out well, no snacking and ended the day under calories. I wanted to continue to munch but turned my attention elsewhere and was successful!