3x a Week Challenge Check-in: How You Doin’?

Greetings and salutations!  Sorry for my radio silence lately, but I've been sick with a medieval flu that has had me horizontal since Saturday.  I'm still not 100% yet -- this is my first time at the computer in almost 5 days, but I'm on the mend. So, yay for that.

But, I learned a lesson about procrastination and the 3x a week challenge, that's for sure. 

So, last week, I said I'd go to the gym 3 times a week. I figured that would be perfectly fine and I went on Monday.  I figured I'd do Monday - Wednesday - Friday and that would be that. But Wednesday came and I was really busy and Friday came and I was really busy and I thought, "That's ok, I'll go Saturday and Sunday, when I have a little more time."  Well, I went Saturday morning, after dragging myself out of bed to do so, only to come home and pass out for 4 hours and subsequently, have the flu.  So I missed my 3rd day.

I SO didn't want to be the one to miss my 3x a week. You can't lead a challenge and flake out, that's just lame.  I couldn't help it, obviously, there was no way I was lifting my head, let alone weights on Sunday. But, I did learn not to put off the challenge until the last minute.  So there's that.

This week, my 3x a week challenge has been devoted to resting and getting better by drinking plenty of fluids and taking my vitamins. I hope to pick things back up again physically next week.

How is the challenge treating you? Are you enjoying the 3x a week challenge?  How you found anything new you enjoy doing because of the challenge?  Are you developing any new habits?  Tell us about it! (And don't forget to update us with your progress by tweeting with #3xweek so we can follow along -- we try to reply back to everyone, I've been the sickly slacker on that lately.)

Checkin’ In on the 3x A Week Challenge

I've seen some of you tweeting away about the 3x a Week Challenge this week and I have to say I am so proud of us!  Many of you came through and did your "thing" 3 times this week (or are almost there) and I have to applaud everyone for joining in!  It was way more fun doing the 3x Week Challenge with people instead of alone.  This week I chose to add Weight Training 3 times this week.  I completed my mission - but not in the way that I anticipated initially.

Joelle and I were talking and she observed that I do a lot of cardio but no weight training which might help me shed some inches and get my butt into the next jean size I'm after.  Let me preface this by saying I am very happy with my body at the present time.  It's not perfect and it has created two children so I give it a pass in some areas but I am always working towards improvement and would love to get rid of those last nagging pounds that never seem to come off.  So I thought, "She's right... some weights might be just what I need."

So I started the week out with the best of intentions but swore it wouldn't interfere with the spinning classes I'm now addicted to. Monday I went to spinning.  Tuesday, I ended up missing the gym due to a kid rash and a trip to the pediatrician. Plan derailed.  It was clear I was running out of opportunities to "lift" and I wasn't sure how I was going to lift weights 3 days consecutively without injuring myself.  So I made an executive decision.  Substitute weights with something I've never done before.

So instead of lifting weights on Wednesday I tried a Group Step class.  My first ever.  It was confusing and hard and kind of frustrating (I think I felt like crying at one point - how lame is that?). But when it was over I was wildly hyped up.  It challenged me... it was something I couldn't do 100% because of being a rookie and I needed to do it again. I had to do it again to prove I could do it.

Introducing The 3x a Week Challenge

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time building new healthy habits, especially when I've fallen off the wagon. You do great for a while, then it's really, really hard to climb back on.  You do well a day or two and then ice cream happens or beer or you skip the gym and next thing you know you're up to your elbows in Popcornopolis, wondering what happened to your youth.

Kathy started going to a Spin class recently.  Admittedly, I thought she might not like it -- she's always been a walking sorta gal, but she totally did!  Then she made a commitment to make it to spin class 3x a week (after purchasing a padded seat cover!  VERY important!)... and she DID it.  Now, for gym bunnies this might not seem all that big of a deal, but I was impressed. Spin is hard -- or uh, at least I'm guessing it's hard. It looks hard. People sweat a lot.

So, yeah, ok, I've never done it.  But I've thought about it... In fact, there are a lot of different things I've wanted to try and/or stick to, but sometimes you need a little inspiration... like Kathy. 

After talking about it, Kathy and I decided we should make this 3x a week commitment an on-going, weekly challenge to share with you fine folks. So here we go!

The 3x a Week Challenge

Purpose:

• To build healthy habits by starting out with a managable commitment of 3x a week.
• To bring variety into your workouts/lifestyles/regimes by creating the opportunity to try something new.
• To participate in a group activity, which helps us stay accountable.

Requirements (this is easy!):

1. Pick a healthy habit you'd like to try to build (spin class, yoga practice, meditation, cooking healthy meals, taking your vitamins, drinking water, cardio -- whatever you need to work on or want to try).
2. Commit to doing it 3x a week for one week. That's it. If you pick something like underwater hula clogging class and it sucks -- well, you've only committed to 3x a week. By the end of the 3rd class, you've given it a fair shake and can decide if you want to return or re-up for a different habit the next week.
3. Share your commitment by leaving a comment here (or in any 3x-a-week post.) with your chosen healthy habit and/or tweet your accomplishments daily or weekly or whenever by using #3xweek so we can all follow along.

That's it!  3x week for a week.  It doesn't matter what days, as long as it's 3 of them. The next week you can change it up or keep going with your existing habit or even piggyback habits (i.e., week 1, try spinning 3x a week, week 2, try spinning and cooking healthy meals 3x a week, etc.).  It's entirely up to you what you choose and how you work it -- all you have to do is commit to 3x a week, be it one habit or five.

I'm excited about this!  Kathy's newfound love of spinning has inspired me to try some new things and reminds me that 3x a week is not going to kill me. Chances are if you start with 3x a week (like M-W-F),  you'll fill in the 'off-days' with your habit over time.  If I vow to take my vitamins, which I'm notorious for forgetting, 3x a week -- it's likely I'll take them daily.  But we all have to start somewhere, so whatever your healthy habit is going to be, 3x a week gives you chance a success -- and we're all about celebrating successes, even the smaller ones.  Eat healthy Monday, but bollocks it up Tuesday? That's ok!  You still have 2 more times to eat healthy -- and that's a success!

3x a week. Can you commit?  Join us!  (and don't forget to hashtag your tweets with #3xweek!)