Choosing challenges

I love/hate fitness challenges. You know the kind. “Six weeks to washboard abs!”, “Twelve weeks to a beach body,””Holiday diet reset,” etc. etc.

Challenges have a place in wellness.  They’re “extrinsic” motivators and they can be a great way to jump start healthier habits. You see some progress and some changes in your health and body composition and you get to feel good about the reward. I have a problem with the safety and sustainability of the more extreme types of challenge.

I love certain types of challenges. I get super motivated by training for events for example. I’d do races when my body was young enough to be a runner. I spent months preparing for a strenuous backpacking trip with weights and longer walks carrying my pack wearing my boots. And I am compelled by six and eight week work out plans. One needs to switch up how one does strength training because the body adapts and needs variation to change and even to maintain body composition.

I hate the types of challenges that are extreme, especially when they involve diet. These are the “adhere to this food plan without deviation for three months” type. Or they’re the “do 60 workouts in 60 days” type. Doing x amount of workouts in x days can be a recipe for injury, especially if you’re new to regular exercise. I had a friend who pushed too hard and ended up in ICU with exertional rhabdomyolysis and came pretty close to kidney failure. On the dietary side, a lack of variety means you’re missing out on essential nutrients. You get bored and more likely to over eat “off plan.”

What do you do when the challenge is over? What’s left to get you out of the door or stick to an eating plan? The reason for your motivation is gone and needs replacement. Challenges are meant to be limited time only.  My “good” challenges are also limited time. The difference is that one can repeat those challenges – after a rest. You raced your event? Awesome. Now you can train for the next one. The not-so-good challenges are hard on the body. I know people who do the bootcamp type workout with prescribed eating plans. They do great! Lose inches and pounds and feel physical improvements in measures like blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.

As soon as they stop, the pounds pile back on. Energy output is reduced from scaling back exercise and energy input increases as you resume regular eating. Yo-yo dieting messes up your metabolism and leads to greater weight gain over time. You can resume after a break, just like with the better-type of challenge. The thing is, you’re once again going full-bore without enough rest and/or nutrients. You may not end up with rhabdo as you do gain strength and endurance. You do need to take care with form because more working out = more repetitive movements that might lead to chronic conditions. Especially as you age.

I’m not against doing challenges. I encourage you to think about what comes after the challenge before making the decision to take one on. I also encourage you to make rest and variety within your challenge. In the end, consistency beats volume.