Welp, it’s almost March! If you made any New Year’s resolutions, how are they going? Any health or fitness-related goals? I’m asking this question because I want to share with you one of my more successful self-experiments from last year that you might want to consider deploying this March: The 31/30 Fitness Experiment.
*I’ve also created a printable/fillable tracking sheet for this experiment, should you want to try it. The tracking sheet is free to my Vipers and Infinity Dolphins, the paid supporters of This Lagoon. Download the tracking sheet at the bottom of this email.
Or, if you prefer not to subscribe, but still want the sheet, GRAB THE TRACKING SHEET here at a pay-what-you-can price.
Or, make your own tracker.
You don’t need the tracking sheet to run this experiment, but it’s nice for extra motivation.
I haven’t shared this 31/30 method before and I’m pretty sure I made it up myself, but the experiment is simple:
Work out for 30 minutes a day, for 31 consecutive days, at your current fitness level, not beyond it.
Intentional walking counts as working out for days when you can’t handle more.
This experiment changed my relationship to fitness. I used to HATE working out. It didn’t make me happy; it made me miserable. I thought I’d never like it. Now, I like it. Now I look forward to working out. It’s kind of unbelievable.
So, since many creatives and intellectuals struggle with taking care of our bodies, I thought I’d share the details of what I did in case it can help you too. I believe this method can benefit many types of people and could also be applied to areas beyond fitness, for example, 31/30 reading, 31/30 studying Spanish, 31/30 playing guitar, etc., really any habit you’re struggling to enjoy or do consistently.
Who is this 31/30 Fitness Experiment perfect for?
If you want to work out more consistently.
If you hate working out.
If you aren’t working out at all, but want to.
Writers and others who sit too much.
If you feel your current fitness program is having too many negative side effects or sucks.
If you think you will NEVER love working out.
The Goals of the 31/30 Fitness Experiment
To start liking fitness.
To feel energized post-workout and not drained and exhausted.
To get that happy, positive feeling of energy that people claim to feel after working out.
(This feeling was elusive to me before this experiment and I thought it was either a lie or just not something accessible to me personally.)
The 31/30 Basic Setup
Work out 30 minutes a day, for 31 consecutive days, at your current fitness level.
The workout shouldn’t be too hard, miserable, or make you feel exhausted after.
If the workout makes you feel bad, take it down a notch. Keep taking it down a notch until you aren’t feeling bad.
Miss no days. (But if you do, still keep going.)
That’s it.
This could be done in a variety of ways, but I’ll explain below some things to consider, and I’ll share exactly what I did.
How Did I Come To The 31/30?
In general, I struggle with fatigue, insomnia, ADHD, and depression, and I’m overweight. I’m the kind of person who randomly finds myself daydreaming about donuts. I do not watch or play any sports. Running a marathon sounds less feasible to me than telekinesis.
But, I’m not dumb, so I know that I need to maintain some semblance of physical health or else I’ll start to have mobility problems or health dramas. So, I periodically force myself to “workout.”
I’ve tried many things, many gyms, many programs, and during 2022, I tried working out in various group fitness classes, like group personal training. I thought it would help me sleep better, prevent depression, and improve my focus, which it didn’t at all. It made it all worse. I also gained weight while doing this.
I did this group thing a couple of times a week for a few months, but after each session, I found myself utterly destroyed, miserable, and exhausted. I dreaded working out and after the classes were over it was hard to get anything done. I just wanted to sleep or zone out on the couch.
Sometimes I would skip the sessions or make up excuses not to go because I hated it so much. Despite the teacher’s best intentions, the classes were too hard for me, too early in the morning, and were also flaring up an old knee injury. I needed to quit, and I did, but it was demoralizing and I felt like I’d always be an unfit slobburrito who never got the alleged positive benefits of exercise.
But in retrospect, morning group fitness was the complete wrong fit for me. Yet, I think a lot of us do the wrong things for us when it comes to working out. We see people happily bouncing around in Orange Theory or pumping their Pelotons at 5 am and figure that’s just what fitness is, and that’s what we should do too.
Well, it’s not and we shouldn’t.
You Wouldn’t Like Most Jobs and You Won’t Like Most Workouts
I was thinking about fitness all wrong. I thought fitness was like assembling an Ikea bookshelf and you just do it a certain way or it won’t work. Cardio, sweating, classes, etc. This is totally incorrect. Like career paths, fitness habits must be matched to personality types to be successful.
If you decide to proceed with this challenge, I urge you to consider your unique personality—how you like to work and how you like to receive instruction; then find an activity that fits YOU—because physical fitness for most is less like a party and more like a job. So, you must find a job you like.
For example, I don’t really like doing any group work or group activities other than socializing, so I don’t know why I thought group fitness would be a good fit. Probably because it’s popular, and it’s constantly being sold to people by big corporations. Group fitness may work for the type of people who enjoy group projects, serving on committees, being in fraternities, or attending HOA meetings, but that’s not my personality type.
I prefer self-guided, solo work, or one-on-one instruction from a masterful, calm, and highly intellectual teacher, and not early in the morning. I usually don’t want to see or talk to anyone before I’ve had two cups of coffee, done my writing for the day, and chewed on some nicotine gum.
If given the option, I always prefer solo yoga, or yoga with just me and a friend over doing yoga with a room full of strangers. Bougie, I know, but that’s who I am.
Nor do I like being told what to do in any context, much less being shouted at with physical instructions. I always hated playing team sports in school and I prefer to work for myself, not for an organization.
My mom, on the other hand, loves her group fitness because she loves chit-chat and likes being in themed groups. She diligently goes to every committee meeting she’s asked to attend.
Know yourself, folks.
Also, for me, working out is often TOO BORING. I need something more intellectually stimulating, or so easy that I can do it while simultaneously doing something better. So workouts for me are better when they involve learning a skill, like tennis, powerlifting, or tango lessons, or when I can do them at home in front of my TV while watching an actual show I like, or a movie, not while watching a workout video.
What I Did
Despite my fitness frustrations, I still wanted to be fitter and knew that as I age, having muscle mass is crucial to not becoming frail and decrepit. So, I shifted approaches. I decided to find solo workouts that weren’t draining, that I didn’t dread that I could do in the evening at home while watching trashy TV (the something better).
I also decided I would only watch my TV show of choice while doing the workouts, so to find out what happened next on the show, I’d have to work out again.
To kick off this new approach, I planned to do it every day for a month because this strategy had been successful for me in the past in changing my relationship with other things I didn’t initially like, such as monitoring my finances, reducing my sugar intake, and sobriety from alcohol.
My 31/30 Specifics
I get bored easily, so I decided not to do the same thing every day.
I used the Copilot fitness app 3x a week and did 30-min weight-lifting workouts that the app's personal trainer designed for me after a Zoom chat about my goals and needs. Cost: $99 for the month.1
30 minutes (minimum) of Yoga 1-2x a week2 Cost: one class was free, the other, $20. If it felt too hard, I modified or hit the fetal position/child’s pose, etc.
On days I wasn’t doing a weight workout or yoga, I walked briskly for 30 min outside. Cost: free.
I went to Planet Fitness a few times and did 30 min of bike, elliptical, or stair climbing when it was rainy or too hot to walk outside. Again, making sure to keep it not-too-hard. Cost: $10 a month.3
I understand that $129 a month could be too costly for some, so I’ve suggested free versions of my 31/30 experiment in the footnotes.
If you hate fitness, it’s best to try a couple of different things and see what you hate the least.
For example, I learned that out of all the types of fitness out there, I like traditional weightlifting the best (think old-school Arnold Schwarzenegger, squats, deadlifts, etc), and I hate group CrossFit the most.
This is great for me, because with only 30 minutes a day of weightlifting, if done correctly, and with zero bouncing around, you can see serious results.
A Word on CoPilot
I learned about the Copilot app (formerly called Delta Trainer) which composed the backbone of my 31/30 program from fellow experimenter Wheezy Waiter in this video, which sums up how the app works. I continued to use it for over a year, then shifted to solo weight-lifting workouts programmed for me by a local trainer, and focused on progressive overload, but I still think CoPilot was good to start with.
Copilot’s model is this:
Meet with a trainer on Zoom to discuss your situation.
The trainer makes you a 4-week customized plan, sends you reminders, and answers questions in DMs using text, voicemail, or video messages.
The app doles out your plan and uses timed videos and prompts to keep you moving forward during the workout.
Each move is explained and visualized by a video on the app, but you can watch TV while doing them.
You have a calendar of workouts and you can go back to any of them and repeat them.
The user interface is GREAT.
The app works best with an Apple watch, but it can also be used on any phone.
You can use equipment or do bodyweight workouts.
If anything is too hard the trainer can make it easier for you immediately.
This is what the app looks like:
Plus, you have a calendar and a DM chat with your trainer.
I graduated to simple, home equipment pretty fast, and the trainer sent me links to cheap Amazon gear to get me started. They have no affiliation with the gear sales as it is all very customizable to the user’s home space and needs. This was a positive experience and I use the few new things I bought—a set of adjustable barbels and resistance bands—constantly. For less than $100 you can get yourself very well-equipped on Amazon or with used gear from Facebook marketplace.
Like Wheezy in the video, the best part of this app for me is that I can watch TV or listen to a podcast while doing the workouts.
Another great feature is that if something isn’t working or you’re getting pain from an activity, you can speak to a knowledgeable fitness human who will then help you make adjustments. It’s a much more affordable product than having a personal trainer 3x a week. The trainer even reviewed an MRI of my knee when I first started.
Their whole approach is also to take things slow to build consistency by not making it miserable or too hard, a great business model for a product designed to keep you subscribing and it worked.
It was also the CoPilot trainer’s suggestion to only do 30 min a day.
CoPilot helped me get things going, but there are many apps out there. I’ve also tried this one, which is a cheaper option for women only.
The point is finding one you like that isn’t too hard and can be easily customized.
My 31/30 Results!
WHOO HOO! Beyond my expectations! 100% positive!
The 31/30 fitness experiment totally changed my relationship to fitness, and I accomplished every goal I set out to accomplish! I now love lifting weights! Who knew?!?
I enjoy working out.
I up my game and push myself when I get bored, but not before I’m ready.
I stay consistent now.
I don’t dread workouts, I look forward to them! Shocking. I’m still shocked.
I get the happy energy.
I get the mood boost/depression prevention.
I did a fancy body scan at the doctor’s office after almost a year of doing this and my muscle mass is in the 95th percentile for women my age!
Even the doctor was shocked and said “I would have never guessed from just looking at you.” Haha.
I understand fitness better.
I discovered my fitness preferences.
Alone with TV, audiobook, or podcast.
Weights, walking, and yoga
NOT crazy cardio or bouncing around with a bunch of sweaty strangers to someone else’s music.
Bonus Result
When the “you-should-do-this” people come at me with weight loss advice, which they do, folks, they really do, I relish in saying “WELL ACTUALLY I WORKOUT EVERY DAY AND MY MUSCLE MASS IS IN THE 95TH PERCENTILE.”
This condescending retort alone is worth the effort this program requires.
Again, one of my most successful experiments ever!
Was I perfect? No. There were sick days, travel, etc, but I was as consistent as possible, and even when I traveled, I did my best to maintain the program.
CoPilot helped with this too because the trainer will harass you with DMs if you don’t do the workout and he can see how long it is taking you, when you do it, etc.
My tracking sheet also helped, and I enjoyed filling in the circles.
Biggest Takeaways
I’m doing so much less than what I thought would be necessary to get results, and my results are good. By results, I mean my muscle mass and strength, not how I look in a bikini, which I wouldn’t wear, anyway!
Trainers, fitness people, and corporations often push workouts on people that are TOO HARD. They are designed for fit 21-year-olds or for people already fit, and often by a trainer who in many cases has never been out of shape.
You can be way way way lazier and still have positive benefits.
I’m much stronger and feel pretty spry despite being 40+ and weighing 200lbs. Also, I dropped 25 lbs during the last year, which I don’t contribute solely to this experiment, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt, unlike the unpleasant group fitness classes that were aggravating my knees.
Caveats
I’m not doing intense, long cardio, but I don’t think it’s a huge issue and it could be a benefit, cause I’m less stressed. I still get my heart rate up in yoga and with the heavier lifting and bodyweight activities. Especially because when you’re doing yoga in a bigger body, like me, your arms and core are lifting a lot of weight. It’s hard. With yoga, what a lighter person may find relaxing can be much more challenging for a bigger person.
Also, some studies suggest that lower-intensity fitness is better for longevity anyway, with less risk of injury.
Now and then I warm up with rower sprints, but only for like 2 minutes. Honestly, less is more if it means not quitting.
Future Considerations
I’m currently reading a book called Next Level, recommended by fellow author Joanna Penn, which asserts that in addition to lifting heavy shit, women in mid-life and beyond should start sprinting, as in doing maximum capacity cardio for extremely short periods, like 10-30 seconds, and since 30 seconds sounds way more doable than an hour spin class, I may try incorporating this “sprinting” more this year.
Highly recommend this book if you’re a woman over 35, as it is about so much more than just fitness.
Finally, I want to apply this 31/30 method to meditation in the future and maybe to writing short stories.
Now You
How does this sit with you?
Would you try this?
What kind of fitness do you love? Hate?
Any fitness advice?
Would you apply the 31/30 experiment to another area in your life?
Now Grab the Tracking Sheet and Go!
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