Before you dive into new movement activities for the next 12 months, be sure you have the information and support you need to take on activities safely.
HEALTHY MOVEMENT
The only person who knows what is going on with your body is you. That said, it takes time to educate yourself about healthy movement, how to differentiate between pain and intensity, and what level of challenge you can handle. Make sure your doctor or a physical therapist has approved you for a new activity before you begin, especially if you are recovering from an injury.
If you are coping with a repetitive, ongoing injury, I can’t stress enough how important it is to see professionals. Physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists are a financial investment, and I can’t think of anything more worth your resources than your physical health and recovery. If you have a recurring injury or are physically limited in a way that is preventing you from moving but haven’t seen a professional, do that first. See the Recovery sections of this book for more insight into why it matters to see professionals for treating injuries.
NUTRITION AND HYDRATION
What you eat makes a difference in how you feel. When I cut out sugar, processed foods, dairy, and alcohol, I feel better. I don’t crash in the afternoon. I feel stronger when I lift.
There are many incredible resources available to help you learn more about fueling your body, particularly when you are moving a lot or doing intense workouts. I recommend getting blood work done by a nutritionist to assess where you are—many folks are lacking in essentials such as vitamin D or iron, which can make a huge impact on how you feel—and, with your nutritionist’s support, taking on a challenge like the Whole30 Program or an anti-inflammatory diet to take yourself off processed foods and see how your body feels.
I have tried many diets and cleanses—anti-inflammatory, paleo, Whole30, low carb/ketogenic, the Bone Broth Diet, no dairy, no sugar, no alcohol, doing a cleanse with one day off per week, and so on. It has taken time, experiementation, and working with a nutritionist to find what works best for my body.
My approach is to eat as many vegetables as I can; choose well-sourced proteins and healthy fats; and eat fewer processed carbs, sugar, dairy, and alcohol. I am a stickler about recovery, and I refuel with carbs after I work out. If your heart rate has been elevated for 30 minutes or more, eat some carbs and protein within 30 to 45 minutes to refuel depleted glycogen. Miss the window, and your body turns that fuel into fat, according to my nutritionist. My standby is a banana with peanut or almond butter, but a smoothie with fresh fruit and protein powder or sweet potatoes with some chicken or jerky also work well.
Your nutrition plan will not look like mine, for good reason. You may care to cut out meat. You may want to eat more dairy, or less. Maybe you need to crack the sugar addiction. Perhaps you need to increase certain types of carbs or eat more legumes. Every body is unique.
Do I follow my ideal nutrition plan all the time? Not even close. I love a delicious chocolate chip cookie! But if I feel negative impacts from how I’ve been eating, particularly if I’m eating out a lot or traveling, I know how to move back to an eating plan that feels good for me. The main point is that what you eat impacts how you feel, in a big way. When you ramp up the amount of movement in your life, it makes sense to take a closer look at your diet.
Lastly, hydration is an essential part of fueling your body. Staying hydrated means carrying water with you wherever you go and adding electrolytes after an intense workout. The average adult body is 50 to 60 percent water. Water helps regulate body temperature, cushion joints, protect your spine, aid digestion, and eliminate waste. If you get dehydrated, your blood volume drops and your heart has to work harder.
FOLLOW THESE BASIC RECOMMENDATIONS:
•Drink 12 to 16 ounces of water as soon as you wake up to make up for water lost overnight.
•Drink an 8- to 12-ounce glass of water at every meal, during exercise, and before you go to bed.
•If you are very active for more than 45 minutes, have a sports drink with electrolytes.
•Get a reusable water bottle and carry it with you so you can drink water throughout the day. Try replenishing by drinking half your body weight in ounces per day, as a baseline (so if you weigh 130 pounds, drink 65 ounces of water per day). Add more with electrolytes when you are active and sweating profusely.
WHY 12 MONTHS AND 24 WAYS TO MOVE?
The first goal of this book is to get you to move more for a full year. Why a year? Because it takes time to make something a habit. The second goal is to encourage you to explore new ways to move throughout that year. By taking on something new on a regular basis, you can teach yourself what it’s like to try something unfamiliar and challenging with consistency—the pathway to real change.
After taking on a new activity weekly for years, I thought trying two new activities a month felt within reach—so the book offers 24 ways for you to move more over 12 months. Master your new movement practice by doing one activity per week, and repeat every activity at least one more time. While you may fall in love with something right away, remember the point is to keep trying new things. Or you may discover you don’t love it! That’s normal, too. Still, give it a chance. Do it more than once. Muscle memory is magic. The more you practice something, the easier it becomes. You may find that you end up liking an activity you initially hated because you didn’t feel like you were good at it.
Keep in mind, too, that if one month’s activities feel difficult or frustrating, the next month’s are completely new. Be patient and kind to yourself. If you struggle to swim or don’t like the dance class, don’t give up. Give it a go for two sessions and then move on.
You can start this book at any time, no matter what season you’re in. Choose a starting point that works based on the weather, whether it’s the middle of winter or the height of summer. Every month is designed to have one activity that can be done outdoors and one that is generally done indoors. The winter sports are grouped together, so if there is snow on the ground where you are, begin there. If you’re not up to facing the elements just yet, take on the indoor activity for the month. And some activities can be done no matter what time of year—you can go for a walk in the rain or in the snow! (You always can walk indoors, in a mall for instance, if the weather truly prohibits it.)
This book is designed to be flexible and to accommodate your life. Take a look at your calendar for the month, and figure out when you can schedule trying the new activities. Some take an hour or less, while others are a full-day affair. Part of the challenge is making time to try new things.
Also, if for whatever reason the main activities don’t appeal to you, I’ve included sidebars throughout the book with alternative options. Can’t find a hip-hop dance class? Go to tap! Are you struggling with swimming? Check out aqua aerobics. Is it too cold for tennis? Go play squash.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR 12 MONTHS
Each activity chapter begins with a description of my personal experience with that activity to give you a sense of what it’s like as well as the benefits it offers as it adds more movement to your life. From there, the Get Started section helps guide you to begin the new activity, with some quick tips plus basic information on equipment, classes, and costs involved.
If you’re already active one to three days a week, the Get Started level should be accessible for you for every activity. Want more? Check out the Challenge Yourself section, which offers three goal levels: Level Up, Reach Goal, and Adventure Goal. Take on a level you feel comfortable with, and build from there. If you’re not active, start with walking—go for 15 minutes a day to develop strength over time—then tackle a new activity and set new goals when you feel ready.
Finally, after you’ve tried a new activity a couple of times, answer the questions posed in the Discovery section. These questions guide you through journaling so that you can document what you’ve learned, how you feel about your experiences with the activity, and keep track of your progress through the