The 30-Day Challenge

You’ve heard the expression “the game within the game,” referring to some aspect of a sport that a player looks to master. I like to think of the 30-Day Challenge as the "workout within the workout" for the Second Half, the holistic health and wellness program that's I've been on for the past four months.  

Here’s the jam: from now until the end of the month, I’ll start each day with a 5-minute, pilates-based workout that I put together with my yoga instructor and strength trainer, Kahlila Kramer. It’s a quick-and-dirty routine (“over and done in the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee” was my requirement), consisting of push-ups, planks, the pilates 100, and some crunches. The mini workout will be in addition to my usual training regiment, which includes a whole lotta soccer, jogging, full-length yoga classes, meditation and, this month, some extra visits to the acupuncturist to deal with this nagging neck pain.     
 
Building core and upper body strength is the goal of my 30-Day Challenge. Though I’ve dropped about thirty pounds since starting the Second Half, I’m still flabby in the middle and I continue to get knocked off the ball by younger, stronger players. A month of sit-ups and push-ups won’t to turn me into Rinaldo, but it will be a step in the right direction. “Thirty days can be an effective model for shaking up your routine,” says Kahlila. “You should start to see and feel results, but it’s not such a long, daunting timeframe. And you can always make small changes to the program so that it’s impacting your life in a beneficial way.”
 
My focus is on physical strength, but a 30-Day Challenge can take any form. Feeling more stressed out of late? You might try quieting the mind with a month of midday meditations. Want to drop ten pounds? Thirty days without booze should get you there. Need to take in more fruits and vegetables? Maybe start each day with a morning smoothie.      
 
“Whatever challenge you choose, just remember to be kind to yourself and not use it as a form of punishment or something else to feel bad about,” says Kahlila. Indeed, life is tough enough without the wrong kind of challenges adding to the struggle.
 
If you decide to take the 30-Day Challenge, I want hear about it! Find me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, where we can check in regularly over the course of the thirty days.