2023 Athletico Wellness Challenge
Leave a CommentNeed some inspiration to keep up with your new year’s health and wellness goals?
We’ve put together monthly challenges to help you improve your physical and mental well-being.
1. January – Add at least 10 minutes of walking to your daily activities.
Light activity, such as walking, has been shown to reduce stress, improve sleep, increase energy levels, and reduce pain symptoms.
2. February – Increase your water intake.
Improving water consumption has shown to reduce symptoms of dehydration, improve overall energy levels and brain function, and prevents kidney stones.
3. March – Improve your sleep hygiene.
Challenge yourself to sleep between 7 to 9 hours at night. This will make you feel more well-rested and have the energy to get through your work days and enjoy your weekends.
4. April – Read a book
When we think of our health, we tend to think of improving our physical self. It is just as important to work out our mind. Reading and challenging our minds can help improve cognition and prevent the early symptoms of dementia.
5. May – Stretching Challenge
As we tend to get more docile lives, sitting in front of the computer for work or watching television, we start to notice we aren’t as flexible as we used to be. Try stretching at least 10 minutes a day to reduce stress and improve overall mobility.
6. June – Stairs Challenge
This month, we are avoiding the elevator and escalator and taking the stairs. This will help burn additional calories as well as improve overall cardio endurance.
7. July – Avoiding Fast Food
Although fast food can be very convenient during our busy lives, it is also packed with high calories and added preservatives that can harm our overall health. This month, avoid the fast-food lanes and prepare food at home. Not only will your overall health thank you, but so will your wallet.
8. August- Don’t Hit the Snooze Button
Getting up at the first alarm instead of hitting the snooze button a few times can give you more motivation at the start of your day that you can carry with you throughout the day. These extra minutes can be used for exercises, making breakfast, or mindfulness/meditation.
9. September – Try one new food recipe a week.
We tend to fall into the same old recipes week after week, making eating dull. Add one new recipe a week to “spice” things up a bit. Bonus points if you make it a healthy meal.
10. October – Push-Up Challenge
To try and improve upper body strength, work on adding one additional push-up to each day of the month. Many variations can be done for any age range. Whether doing a normal push-up, one on your knees, or even a standing wall push-up.
11. November – Squat Challenge
Moving on to lower body strengthening. Add one additional squat to your daily workout routine. This will help to improve overall lower body strength, decrease difficulty with getting out of a chair, and help improve balance.
12. December – Plan A Fun Event for Yourself/Treat Yourself
During this time of the year, we tend to take on a lot of stressors and lose focus on many things we enjoy. This month it’s time to appreciate yourself. Take yourself out to a much-deserved dinner. Plan on going to a fun new event you haven’t tried before. Reward yourself for the positive things you’ve done this year to better yourself through the challenge.
Physical Therapy Can Help
If you would like to learn more about how a physical therapist can help you lead a healthy, active life, reach out to your nearest Athletico. Free assessments are available in-clinic and virtually through our Telehealth platform.
*Per federal guidelines, beneficiaries of plans such as Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VHA and other federally funded plans are not eligible for free assessments.
The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.
