alive's February 2021 Challenge: Exercise for Heart Health
You'll Really ❤ Our February Challenge
alive Editorial
Hey there, how was your month of plant-based eating?
The next stop on our wellness tour is an important one: exercise. That does *not* mean you need to sign up for a virtual marathon, like, yesterday. Exercise can mean walking your dog, stretching on your lunch break, or having a snowball fight with the fam—whatever makes you feel 10/10.
Adding exercise to your life makes your heart happy. It can even cut the risk of heart attack or stroke by up to 63%. We’re focusing on heart health because February is the month of love, but exercise has tons of other benefits too. Just 20 minutes of movement three times a week has been shown to lessen fatigue, increase energy, and boost immunity. Yes, please!
Show your heart the love it deserves by taking each day as an opportunity to get your bod moving.
As you probably know by now, each week of alive’s 12 Months of Wellness focuses on one mini goal as a stepping stone toward the bigger monthly objective. You’ll find the weekly focuses with key tips below. You can also download, screenshot, or print out our PDF calendar with daily to-dos.
January 31-February 6: Lace up those running shoes
- Consider a running or jogging program for beginners.
- Learn how to run safely outdoors in the winter.
- Warm up properly before your workouts, and cool down afterward.
February 7-13: Try something new
- Try a virtual class like ballet barre, tai chi, or kickboxing.
- Adopt a morning routine that incorporates some stretches or yoga poses. (Try these 7 simple moves to start your day off on a sunny note!)
- Create a motivating playlist to encourage you.
February 14-20: Involve the family
- Go for a walk, rain or shine, outdoors after dinner with the family.
- Play a fun and active family game like soccer, tag, or croquet. (Stuck inside? Try these active indoor boredom busters.)
- Incorporate exercise in regular household work, like gardening, raking leaves, or shoveling snow.
February 21-27: Track your goals
- Schedule your workouts in advance, and make short-term and long-term goals.
- Get a step counter or use an app like Google Fit to count how many steps you take. (Try to beat your own daily record!)
- Use a physical activity tracking tool worksheet.
How are you staying active this month? Tag us in allll your sweaty workout selfies on Facebook or Instagram and tag #aliveWellnessChallenge.
Nancy Hillis
Michelle von Hahn
Alexa Everett
Laura Bolt