Stay on target!
Have you joined The Disabled Diva’s Fitness Buddy group on Facebook?
If not, it is time you joined the fun!
Current members, scroll below to read this month’s challenge rules.
This group is for anyone who needs a little accountability and encouragement to help them stick to their fitness goals. You could have fibromyalgia, an autoimmune disease, arthritis, diabetes, MS, or any other chronic illness. In fact, you don’t even need to be ill. I needed motivation and encouragement before I was chronically ill just as much as I do now!
*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links.
One of our goals is to move our bodies every day. Tweet
This means in whatever form of exercise you are able to do. If you can go for walks, that’s perfect and if not, that’s perfect too! Programs like Sit and Be Fit are perfect for those with arthritis. Whether you run around the block, walk to the end of your driveway, or stretch your muscles every morning, you are welcome to join.
Another goal is to do something to improve or enhance our health. Tweet
This can be done through food selection and practicing self-care.
This group is not about killing yourself or triggering a flare in order to exercise your chronic body.
Instead, it is about figuring out how to incorporate physical movement into your day without having it disrupt your life.
Try working on flexibility first with a yoga routine like the 30-minute flexibility yoga workout from Julia Jarvis.
Each month a challenge is issued. Members earn entries to win Starbucks and Amazon eGift cards just by following a few simple rules.
Sound fun?
Then check out July’s challenge!
July challenge
This month’s challenge has two parts! Participate in one or both!
The Disabled Diva is not a medical professional and does not issue medical advice. Always seek the advice of a medical professional before starting any new exercise program.
Challenge part 1
Reasons for choosing a daily activity goal may vary. You may set it high if you are trying to lose weight or are building your stamina to participate in a walk/run. The goal you set may be the maximum amount of steps you can take without triggering a chronic pain flare. Or it could represent the average amount of activity you can handle on any given day.
Choose a goal that reflects the lowest and highest amount of activity you are willing to commit to.
For example: Now that my ribs have healed, I have resumed tracking my steps and taking a daily walk. My stamina and strength are not where it was 6 months ago, so to think I could start back at that level would be ludicrous.
In the past week, I have been able to walk 3,000-9,000 steps without triggering a flare.
This range gives me room to do more when I am able and less when I need to rest.
So my goal for each week (Monday thru Sunday) would be to keep my total steps within 21,000 and 63,000 steps.
I do not want to set myself back, but I do want to build up my strength and stamina. With this in mind, I am going to set my daily goal with a minimum of 3,000 and a maximum of 10,000. This goal ensures that I move my body every day and gives me the motivation to do more when I can.
You may not want to measure your movement with steps. Another option is minutes of activity. If you choose this one your goal may be like the following: Minimum of 10 minutes per day and a maximum 30 minutes. The amount is up to you.
Anyone can participate, but to be eligible for the prizes you will need to provide a screenshot from a fitness tracker. Your fitness tracker could be one that you wear or a free fitness app on your phone. Click here for some options that fit all budgets!
To earn entries for part one, you must provide a screenshot of your steps or activity minutes from your fitness tracker in the group AND your number at the end of each week, must not fall under or over the goal you have set. I know this sounds a bit confusing, I invite you to watch the video where I explain it all located in the announcements of the group.
Challenge part 2
Fitness is more than movement. Our bodies need proper nutrition!!
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For part two, I challenge you to make smarter food choices.
I challenge you to make sure you are eating at least one healthy meal a day. For some of you this will come easy, for others it will be a challenge, but it is one that can be done.
To participate in this challenge you will need to provide a picture of your meal or snack.
For example, if you had a spinach/strawberry salad, you would snap a picture and post it on the daily check-in post located in the group.
Rules
Declare your daily goal on the pinned post located in the fitness buddy group. Click here to join. You may participate in both challenges, but only need to declare your goal for physical activity/steps.
Check in daily on the daily prompts (located in The Disabled Diva’s Fitness Buddy group) by commenting with what you were able to do that day. It could be how many steps you took or how many minutes of activity you had.
Remember that no amount is too small!! If your maximum amount of activity is 2 minutes and that activity is stretching in bed, then that is what you do!
The point of this challenge is to recognize our limits, the minimum and maximum.
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For the nutrition portion of the challenge, all you need to do is post a photograph of your meal in the comments of the same check-in post.
The food you choose must be real and fresh, not overly processed.
Energy bars and most “healthy food bars are just as bad as a candy bar.
Aim for real and fresh, not processed and full of chemicals
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Challenge dates:
Part One: July 1-28, 2019
Part Two: July 1-31, 2019
Members earn one entry per week when they remain within their activity/step range as proven with daily screenshots from their tracker.
Members earn one entry per day when they post a picture of a healthy meal/snack in the comments of the same post.
The daily prompt post can be found in the announcements every day after 8AM PST.
Entries must be made before 8AM PST the following morning to count. You may check-in later, but it won’t count as an entry for the drawing.
Members can join the challenge at any time, with the exception of the physical activity portion. That may be joined each Monday morning.
There will be one drawing held within 5 days of the challenge end date (July 31st). There will be 2 prizes and 2 winners. This month’s prizes are the winner’s choice of an Amazon or Starbucks $10 eGift card.
Starbucks, Amazon, and Facebook are not affiliated with these drawings.
Please shop my links or buy me a cup of coffee. It is because of your support that I am able to offer prizes for this and my other Facebook groups.
More fitness related posts
- Track Your Steps
- Is Your Fitness Tracker Recording All of Your Steps
- Baby steps are better than NO steps!
- 5 Benefits of Walking Indoors
- How to reach your daily step goal without leaving the house.
- Successful Failure
- Are you underestimating your ability?
- 5 Best Practices for Safe Walking
