30-Day Fitness Challenge: 30-Day Fitness Challenge: Day Twenty

30-Day Fitness Challenge
30-Day Fitness Challenge: Day Twenty
| Your Active Challenge  | Your Exercise Challenge - Interval Training  | Your Flexibility Challenge  | Your Nutrition Challenge  | Your Mind/Body Challenge  | Your Day Twenty Checklist

	from Paige Waehner Day 20 offers you a few challenges you'll probably recognize as well as some new ideas for focusing on that healthy new lifestyle you're working towards. You'll recognized the active challenge as well as the flexibility challenge...but, I hope you're ready for your exercise challenge because you have a tough assignment in today's interval workout. Take some time to read through the challenges and plan out exactly how you'll tackle them. Don't forget to record everything in your journal and to fill out your daily checklist to keep track of everything you accomplish.
Your Active Challenge
	Your Active Challenge
	Avoid all escalators, elevators, moving walkways, etc. all day. Any chance you get, take the stairs to add more movement to your day and avoid any 'helpful' tools designed to get you there faster, but with less activity. If you don't have to worry about moving stairs or walkways, try one of the previous challenges or make up your own active challenge.
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Your Exercise Challenge - Interval Training
	Your Exercise Challenge
	Complete the following interval workout with any activity of your choice. Begin with a 5-10 minute warm up at an easy pace. For 30 seconds: Increase the intensity (speed, incline or both) until you're working at around Level 8 or 9 on the Perceived Exertion Chart. For 1 minute: Lower the intensity back down to a Level 4 or 5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 six times (total time: 9 minutes) For 3 minutes: Exercise at a medium pace (Level 5-6) For 1 minute: Increase the intensity (speed, incline or both) until you're working at around Level 7-8. For 1 minute: Lower the intensity back down to a Level 4 or 5. Repeat steps 6 and 7 six times (total time: 12 minutes) For 3 minutes: Exercise at a medium pace (Level 5-6) Cool down for 3-5 minutes of light activity. This is an advanced interval workout so feel free to adjust the time and intensity as needed to fit your fitness level or choose from any of these Interval Workouts.
Your Flexibility Challenge
	Your Flexibility Challenge
	Part one: Stretch for at least 5 minutes after your cardio workout. Your options: Lower Body Stretches Total Body Stretch Part 2: Do at least 5 (or more) reps of the following yoga exercises anytime throughout the day: Cat Stretch Forward Fold Bridge Downward Dog to Upward Dog Find descriptions and more pictures at: Gentle Yoga. Other Options: Yoga/Pilates Matwork Yoga Fusion Workout Beginner Yoga Poses Do your own yoga workout, video or group fitness class
Your Nutrition Challenge
	Your Nutrition Challenge
	For each meal today, eat the healthiest, most nutrient-dense foods first. Your first step here is to, of course, make sure you actually have some healthy, nutrient-dense foods for each of your meals. These types of foods can include: Salads Healthy soups Fruit Vegetables These kinds of nutrient-dense foods are great because they give you more nutrition for less calories. They also help fill you up, since many of these types of foods are also high in fiber - if you're full on healthy stuff, you'll be less likely to eat unhealthier choices.
Your Mind/Body Challenge
	Your Mind/Body Challenge
	Spend at least two minutes belly-breathing. Belly breathing is a great way to relax, bring more oxygen into the body and wake you up when you're feeling stressed or tired. Sit in a comfortable chair with good posture and close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose, expanding your belly as you inhale. Focus on bringing air into the belly rather than the chest. Breathe out through your mouth, exhaling until all the air is gone. Continue, taking slow even breaths, for at least two minutes.
Your Day Twenty Checklist
	Your Day Twenty Checklist
	How'd you do with your challenges today? Use this checklist to cross off everything you accomplished or make notes on what you didn't accomplish and why. You can also use the checklist to make substitutions for any challenges that didn't work for you or create even more challenges for yourself.
Paige Waehner
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