I was looking at my average activity minutes for this year. Since I’ve been wearing a FitBit for several years, it is just a click of the button.
Because the school year has started and the weather is changing, I feel like it is time to set new goals and regroup with my fitness activity minutes.
Today I feel the movement of time. Change of season. Change of moon. Change of tide.
Usually I don’t think about things like this, or feel it as strongly.
The last of summer feels like it is slipping away and we’re heading into fall. Yesterday was a cool bike ride. Usually when I finish I’m almost overheated, but yesterday I should have worn a light jacket or sweatshirt. It would have been a perfect day to go running.
We had a lot of storms last week. Trees down in my front yard and the bike path also had felled trees.
This all reminds me that I need to put together a new workout plan to stay fit and strong during the coming months.
A recent podcast with Ren Powell reminded me of the 3 days and 3 days style of workout that I used to do all the time… until my weekly rhythm was thrown off by the pandemic. This is a Monday Wednesday Friday workout coupled with a Tuesday Thursday Saturday workout. The two different workouts focused on working different muscle groups and doing different activities.
During this summer, I’ve been focused on walking, some weights and a weekly bike ride. Very light for me.
My years of tracking in FitBit reminds me that my average activity minutes have significantly dropped during the pandemic.
I averaged 78 minutes per day in 2016, 77 in 2017, 80 in 2018, 82 in 2019… but only 53 in 2020. While the random recommended average is 150 active minutes per week (around 22 minutes a day), I know I personally need much more at this stage of my life to stay fit and strong.
I know that summer is my busy time for activity, but from June 1 to August 31 I only averaged 57 minutes.
My goal is averaging 60. Usually with my many long bike rides in summer (and training for a half marathons in 2017 and 2018) I have hit those goals easily. It’s time for me to regroup and figure out what to do with the rest of the year to improve.
I like hearing about other people’s workouts as this motivates me, but I realize I need to write down a schedule and plan it into my week!
How many minutes to aim for as an average each day? Do you even track your active minutes or think about it?
I just read that one of the best things to do for cognitive health as we age is to get 30 to 60 minutes of exercise every day. And that means more than a gentle walk. I definitely think about it but my schedule is not what it used to be. I really need to get myself back in order.