bookmark_borderI need a Spark

Last year I got myself a bit healthier, shed some pounds, dropped a waist size, was able to walk up stairs without puffing for breath. There are many ways to choose to measure your ‘health’. For me, it’s about my appearance, this beer belly must go!!

Last July I wrote about the various ways I was try to ‘game’ myself, a mixture of gadgets and apps that I was using to gather data to give myself a view on progress.

Flipside is that if progress, let’s say, reverses, well the numbers and data start to re-enforce various unhealthy thoughts.

With my change in role, I’ve got less energy after work as my ‘after work’ is frequently around 7-8pm. As my usual time to get into the office is 8am then, yeah, I’m pretty bushed of an evening.

Chatting to Kirsty about this and it become obvious, in that way that things usually do when you talk to someone who knows you, that what I needed was to change my routine. Instead of looking to exercise in the evening, why not get up and exercise in the morning!

I am not a morning person.

Which is, of course, total BS. Several years ago I was dragging myself to the 6am train to be in the gym for 6.30!

So I’ve been looking around for something I could do everyday, nothing too major as I’m still getting my fitness back, but something with an all round benefit. I can then mix it up on the exercise bike, some weights, games of basketball and 5-a-side, and some walking. And no, not been out on the bike this year yet, it’s too damn cold (I know, shut up!).

I’ve been starting to log my weight, waist measurement and tracking my activities again. Fitbit is with me everyday and I’ve started using Fitocracy for logging exercise. Mostly because it’s fun and I’m hoping it’ll drag me in more than it has, but I need a way to properly game myself.

Enter Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, THAT Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He has joined up with Fitocracy and set a challenge, based around a simple set of exercises that I can do every morning. He’s calling it the Spark.

I think it’s a great idea, particularly his calling out to others. One of the reasons I dislike the gym is (and this is born from my own view of self) the comparisons I end up making, me against others.

So, starting April 1st (no I’m not joking) I’ll be taking part. Wish me luck!!

bookmark_borderBlogSnob

Those of you who also ‘use’ BlogSnob will know by now that it has been bought by the Kalsey Consulting Group.

For those of you not in the know, it’s those little adverts on the right with the teeny tiny BS after them (refresh to get a new ad).

When I first joined up it was run by one guy and my main aim was to try and find more ‘new’ blogs outside of the blog circle in which I travel. It has worked well for me, and I’ve come across a few that I now visit regularly (once a week usually).

I’ll need to do some digging, but I do know that Kalsey run the Textad Exchange, and I’m concerned that ‘paid for’ adverts will be creeping in here. Something to keep an eye on methinks.