Challenges!

At the beginning of the year, I set myself the goal of becoming fitter. Like so many people I'm realising just how busy and hectic life is without adding in trips to the gym and working up a sweat doing various different workout activities.

As a solution to this problem, I dug out my old faithful Fitbit. I have a Fitbit Flex which is the basic wristband model. As far as I'm concerned it does everything I require: track my steps; allow me to input my food intake; monitor my water consumption; and track my sleep pattern. In the photograph below you will notice one shining light; this indicates roughly how many steps you've taken. Now this was taken at the beginning of the day, with my daily goal of 10,000 steps, one dot indicates 2000 steps taken.

The reason I'm blogging about this today is not to give you the hard sell on a Fitbit or other step counting devices out on the market; and it most certainly isn't to make you go all calorie counting crazy. I simply thought I would write about my experiences over the past two weeks and how after digging out and dusting off my fitbit, my general fitness has increased.

Now I'm under no illusions. I'm a very competitive person. So when a friend contacted me to say she had bought a new Fitbit and wanted to add me into a competition, I immediately said yes. What a great incentive it became. I started the week long challenge by vowing I will do what ever it took to end the night with the highest step count. Throughout the week both me and my fellow Fitbit-er competed against each other to gather the most steps by Friday at midnight. 

My week turned very competitive as we were both at each others heels. One day I was flagging behind the next Rach was. 'only 378 steps behind Rach' well let me just get off the sofa and walk round the kitchen a little bit.

Friday rolled around and the week suddenly caught up with me. I was shattered and just couldn't face staying up longer and walking round the house. So at 9pm I crawled into bed with 495 steps between us, and whilst I was snuggled up dreaming sweet dreams, Rach pipped me to the post!

On reflection I think I'd call this a success. Yes I did lose. I was defeated whilst I slept but I'm OK with that. I'm great with that in fact, because even thought I'm not slogging it at the gym, working up a sweat that would make Shaun T proud, I upped my daily activity. I spent less time sat at my computer or watching TV because I was out walking the dog or walking back and forth from the staffroom. I had to beat Rach! 

I'm getting fitter! If there comes a day in the coming weeks where I have a spare moment, and I've done the vital things such as eat, sleep and breathe, I can add in a gym session.

Here is to little steps! A fitter 2016! And a victory one day on the workweek challenge! Rach I'm coming for you!