Through exercise challenges, we can challenge ourselves and improve our fitness, coordination or other skills. Need a little inspiration to motivate yourself to take on a challenge? Then check out how three students at RPTU challenged themselves and how effective the challenges were in achieving their goals.
Caro's stretching challenge
I'm probably like many students at the moment - it feels like I'm only at my desk and the most I move during the day is either to go shopping or - as is usually the case - from my desk to the kitchen and back. Sitting on my desk chair is a particular challenge for my back or, as all the fitness influencers would say, for my mobility. Mobilizing the body means increasing or maintaining the amplitude of movement. This prepares joints, tendons and bones for the stresses to come. But as in my case, where there is nothing, nothing can be maintained. I've never been a stretching prodigy. On the contrary: my experience in a Pilates class was so sobering that I gave up after two training sessions. I think I was mainly doing the trainer a favor, who had trouble making the exercises easier than easy for me. I can't even push my knees through while sitting with my legs stretched out. My tendons are as short as my patience while waiting for the pizza to arrive. As I'm a bit bored in times of lockdown anyway and my back pain regularly catches up with me, I thought I could start a little challenge. And it wouldn't be a challenge if it wasn't challenging and overcoming. So I'm trying to improve my mobility over 4 weeks and testing various YouTube videos and apps. So that everything can be compared and you can see any progress (not least so that I can motivate myself for the challenge), I measure the distance between my hands and the floor when I have my knees bent. You can see the proof on the right: A whole 27 cm is missing from the floor!
I chose two fitness/yoga influencers who promise "Flexibility, Mobility & Relaxation" as a "Daily Routine". I will also be testing an app during the challenge. You can read about the results here on the blog.
First week
This week I spent at least fifteen minutes with Mady Morrison every evening and got my flatmates involved. They now join in every evening - it's like relaxing, stretching and unwinding as a collective. The YouTuber has various videos that are sometimes 15 minutes long, 30 minutes or even just a 10-minute morning stretch. They incorporate many yoga elements that are linked to the concept of mindfulness. Haven't heard of it yet? Then take a look here under Mindfulness!
There are special stretching exercises for beginners, i.e. for me. But the videos for everyone also contain supportive elements that make it easier for less stretched people (i.e. me). Did you know that a bathrobe belt is a great tool for stretching? I don't know if I get any closer to the floor with the units (see above), but I look forward to stretching and mobilizing my body every evening. After what feels like 10 hours at my desk a day, it's a welcome change. I'm pleasantly surprised and will probably do one or two stretching/yoga exercises with Mady after the challenge. Let's see if I end up being as flexible as she is - but I very much doubt it!
Second week
What can I say: my initial euphoria of the first week has subsided. Maybe it's because I don't see Mady anymore, or maybe it's just the resignation that I'm still as stretched as a block of wood. I started the week with another fitness influencer who is a part-time closet and promises a 10-minute "Mobility Fitness Routine" that you can do every morning. I'm no expert, but it all seemed a bit uncoordinated to me. A bit of shoulder here, a bit of leg there and all the exercises felt like they were done at the speed of light. So a lot of exercises in a very short time. By the time my unstretched self had halfway found the position, the influencer was already on to the next exercise. I very much doubt that this provided the stretching I was hoping for. Of course, I also tried other videos about stretching. One was with a physiotherapist. Initial exercise: sit upright and stretch your legs - easy, I thought. As if the man had read my mind, he then said: "Many people lean on something. That's not the aim of the exercise." I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed to pull my hands away so quickly - and lo and behold, the exercise wasn't so easy anymore. The physiotherapist went on to show a patient how to get used to different exercises. The video is intended for beginners. The man's final plea at the end of the video: every normal person has to get their hands to their feet when they stretch out their legs in a sitting position. Anyone who fails to do this should work on it. At this point, he lost me as a "viewer" - Mady never asked for anything so impossible!
Third week
I was really busy this week. Somehow the last week of lectures is always more stressful than the weeks before. Nevertheless, I didn't lose sight of my challenge - although I would have liked to. As I'm testing something new for you every week, I've been stretching myself with an app. This worked really well for me, as you can simply incorporate the exercises in between and don't necessarily have to unroll the yoga mat. So every evening after a long day at my desk, I sat there and stretched my shoulders, head and many other parts of my body. In the app, you could see what the exercise should look like with an animated figure. Actually quite cool, if the animated figure wasn't accompanied by an absolutely annoying computer-animated voice that tortures you through the exercises without any emotion at all. Regardless of this, the exercises are sustainable and easy to integrate into your everyday desk routine. I notice that I do a few stretches sitting down from time to time, which seem to help me get through the exam phase reasonably back- and headache-free. The only problem is that my shoulders and head are now super stretched, but my legs continue to cling to my body like an unyielding piece of wood. Well, maybe the last week of the challenge will bring the hoped-for breakthrough.
Fourth week
Spoiler at the beginning: last week didn't bring the breakthrough I had hoped for. I tried a mix of Mady and the app and - perhaps out of convenience - concentrated on my upper body. I almost get my arms crossed behind my back now! I do notice one change now though: I'm not quite as bad at stretching anymore. At least my cat no longer turns away in confusion when I try to do the downward facing dog. I also have to admit that I enjoy stretching with Mady almost every day - I even follow her on Instagram now. Even though I won't be anywhere near as stretchy as her, every exercise makes me feel good in an absurd way. The other day I was talking to a friend about the lockdown and how hard the road to an athletic pre-corona me is - guess who he recommended to me to get a little more exercise in everyday life? That's right: Mady!
