It’s the last month of 2021—we made it to December! For some of us, the year flew by. For others, it felt like a lifetime. The final month of the year can be quite stressful. Not only do deadlines need to be met and projects need to be “wrapped up” by the end of the month, but all the while holiday celebrations are taking place, and we are either cooking and cleaning or making endless small talk at the all too frequent family get-togethers. I joke. The family gatherings are heart-warming and highly anticipated but in truth can be a source of anxiety for many of us.
In an effort to help alleviate the stress this month brings, we went in search of a challenge that would provide emotional support, fit into our already overbooked holiday calendar, and still be festive in light of the time of year. And so, we’ve taken inspiration from the beloved “12 Days of Christmas” carol to bring you “The 12 Days of Fitness” Challenge. Rather than spending all month trying and failing to keep up with a workout, this challenge is designed to be a fun mix of daily workouts to keep your spirits high and help you avoid feeling drained from the holiday season. Unlike the gifts you may have carefully selected and given to others in this month of festivities, this is a gift you can give yourself. 12 days to celebrate and energize you. (Clifford, 2021)
Just like the song, the 12 days of fitness is an accumulating workout challenge with a new gift (exercise) added each day. You will finish by using all 12 gifts on the 12th day. Fun fact: The PNC Financial Services Group actually calculated the cost of the gifts in the song based on current market rates. In 2019, the cost for all gifts came to a whopping $170,298.03 if you count each item separately (which amounts to 364 gifts). The good news is our 12 Days of Fitness Challenge is absolutely free — requiring less than 30 minutes of your precious time each day of the challenge. (Pai, 2020)
The 12 Days of Fitness Workout Example:
Day 1: 1 30 Second Plank | Day 7: Day 1,2,3,4,5,6 + 7 Mountain Climbers |
Day 2: Day 1 + 2 Burpees | Day 8: Day 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 + 8 Calf Raises |
Day 3: Day 1,2 + 3 Lunges on each leg | Day 9: Day 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 + 9 Tricep Dips |
Day 4: Day 1,2,3 + 4 Squats | Day 10: Day 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 + 10 Toe Touches |
Day 5: Day 1,2,3,4 + 5 Jumping Jacks | Day 11: Day 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 + 11 Side Bends |
Day 6: Day 1,2,3,4,5 + 6 Push ups | Day 12: Day 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11+ 12 Crunches |
You can pick your own start date based on when this workout will be most effective during the month. And be creative. If you want to substitute any of the exercises above, feel free. There are also all sorts of 12 Days of Fitness Challenges available on the internet if you want to find your own.
Make fitness fun and festive. And Happy Holidays! We are always happy to answer your questions...feel free to CONTACT US !
Sources:
Clifford, T. (2021, January 21). 12 Days of Fitness: The Total Body Workout Challenge. Retrieved from skinnyms.com: https://skinnyms.com/12-days-of-fitness-the-total-body-workout-challenge/
Pai, T. (2020, December 1). The 12 Days of Christimas: The story behind th holiday's most annoying carol. Retrieved from vox.com: https://www.vox.com/21796404/12-days-of-christmas-explained