30-day Movember fitness challenge

Find a buddy, announce your goals on social media and let’s get started on this fun, healthy routine!

Did you know you’re more likely to do your workouts if you plan them with a friend? For that reason, the health tips and fitness ideas for this year’s 30-day Movember challenge are designed to be done with a friend. So, find a buddy, announce your goals on social media and let’s get started on this fun, healthy routine!

The best plan of action for this 30-day challenge is to read through the whole challenge before you start. This way, you can organize with your friends, schedule your workout times and book challenges. Some days will require you to do a bit more planning than others. Remember, if at any time these plans fall through, just pick another day. The order of the workouts is not important — consistently being active is important!

Have fun!

Dr. Stacy Irvine

Monday: Make it happen

Welcome to your first day of the challenge! Today is the day to set your goals, write them down and post them somewhere you will see them every day. By being constantly reminded and inspired, you will be more likely to accomplish what you have set out to do. Try to write out each goal with a specific outcome. For example, instead of “I want to lose weight,” a better goal would be, “I want to lose two pounds per week for the duration of the Movember challenge.” This gives you a specific, measurable outcome and allows you to be more accountable to your goal. Finally, we want you to find an inspirational quote and picture and have it visible on your phone and computer. Share this info with your friends and invite them for a walk today. Your goal is to keep this challenge top of mind at all times to help you stay motivated. Workout: 45-minute power walk, 50 body-weight squats and 20 push-ups (modified or full).

Tuesday: Inspired by nature

For your first outdoor workout, agree to meet your friend at a local park or schoolground. Try to find a place that you both find beautiful and inspiring, with as little vehicle traffic as possible. This outdoor area will need to have a set of stairs or a hill. Workout: slowly jog up the hill or stairs and walk down 10 times.

Wednesday: Peak performance day

Wednesdays will be your most intense workouts of the week. It’s good to pick one day that you will really challenge yourself to push your limits in a workout. To be ready for Wednesday’s workouts you will want to get to bed early on Tuesday night and make sure your nutrition is great on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Today, you will start interval training with your buddy. Interval training is the most efficient way to improve your cardiovascular fitness. To learn more about interval workouts, click here. This workout can be done on any cardio equipment or even with outdoor running. Workout: 2 minutes high-intensity cardio, 1 minute low-intensity cardio. Repeat 10 times. 10-minute cool-down.

Thursday: Try something new

When we’re trying to develop an active lifestyle, it’s important to always be adding to our repertoire of fun activities. Zumba is a class that encourages you to enjoy yourself while training. You will get a full-body workout and dance to some great music. With a friend, sign up for a Zumba class that is offered at a facility in a convenient location for both of you. Don’t be intimidated by the dance moves or choreography. Zumba has a very inclusive philosophy. You’ll experience an effective lower-body workout from the dance moves and enjoy the bonus abdominal workout from the laughter.

Friday: Group workout

A very important component of health and longevity is the number and strength of the social connections in your life. Research has shown that people with many close friends in their lives, and who take the time to enjoy social activities, live a longer and healthier life. For this reason, we’re going to use Friday as the day you work on building up your social network, while at the same time finding new ways to be active with your friends. This Friday, we’ll keep things simple. You and your workout partner will each invite at least one more friend to join you for your workout. Organize a time and place to meet. Workout: power walk 45 minutes – 1 hour, followed by going for tea or coffee.

Saturday: Educate and cardio

Each Saturday we want you to focus on learning a bit more about your health and fitness. Today we want you to find a new book, video, or workout magazine that will help you learn a new exercise or technique to help your program. Workout: 45 minutes cardio stationary or outdoor bike ride with your buddy, your choice of how you do it. Following the cardio portion, spend 15 minutes stretching. Each of you picks one stretch position and holds it for 30 seconds, alternating until you have finished 15 minutes. During the workout discuss the new technique or idea you have learned with your buddy.

Sunday: Restore and relax

Sunday is the day we help our body recover from the week. This is a day to have excellent nutrition, drink lots of water and make sure you’re early to bed. Workout: use a foam roller or tennis ball to massage your muscles. If you’re looking for ideas for how to do this, click here.

Monday: Make it happen

Today, we’re going to work on your meal planning for the upcoming week. You and your friend will each need to find a simple, healthy recipe to bring to your local grocery store. You’ll get the ingredients for each of your two new recipes, and you’re now organized with two new healthy ideas for the week. Workout: if possible, walk to and from the grocery store.

Tuesday: Inspired by nature

Today, you’ll go online to research a great hiking area with trails to help you reconnect with nature. If you live in a large city, you may have to drive to the outskirts to find a place. If you live in or near Toronto, this link will help you out. With your friend, choose a hiking trail that is a quiet place away from the noise of the city. Workout: complete a hike that is at least 5 kilometres.

Wednesday: Peak performance day

Today’s workout will target both upper- and lower-body muscles using a high-intensity interval format. The interval workout today is 30-metre jog, 30 squats, 30-metre jog, 30 push-ups, 30-metre jog, 30-second plank, 30-metre jog, 30 walking lunges, 30-metre jog, 30 jumping jacks, 30-metre jog, 30 tricep dips (done on bench or chair). Repeat this series three times, followed by a 10-minute cool-down with your favorite stretches.

Thursday: Try something new

Cycle and spinning classes are part of a fitness movement that is still gaining momentum. The workout is efficient and intense, but the great music will help keep you motivated. Some people do find spinning class an intimidating environment. Always remember that most people in these classes feel the same way when they first start, and once you start meeting your classmates, you’ll find things much more relaxing. If you’re new to this workout, remember you can always go at YOUR own pace. You set your bike tension. and that will control the intensity of your workout. You’ll be able to find many fitness studios that offer these types of classes. Many of the current programs have added a heart-rate monitor feature, so you’ll know exactly how hard you’ve trained during this workout. If you’ve already tried spinning, try a new studio or instructor. You’ll need to organize this early in the week with your friend and book your spots in class, because some of the best classes fill up early.

Friday: Group workout

Bowling is a great social activity for both friends and family. Bowling involves a curtsy squat during each throw which is a great exercise for your gluteal muscles. Lifting and throwing the balls is a great way to keep your upper body moving too! For this training, you’ll each be asked to bring at least one friend or family member to a bowling alley. Workout: bowling 1 game (If you’re having fun and want to do two, go for it!)

Saturday: Educate and cardio

Meet up with your friend at home and bring a laptop. Search YouTube for these three exercises: bird dog, walking burpee and side plank. These are great exercises to help you with your core muscles and posture. Workout: Complete each of these exercises 10 times with as little rest in between as possible to ensure your heart rate remains elevated. When you’ve finished one circuit, rest for 1 minute and repeat the whole thing again.

Sunday: Restore and relax

The research supporting the health benefits of meditation is extensive. The best way to become better at meditating, in our busy lives, is through regular practice. This Sunday, you and your friend are going to learn how to meditate. You can either do this by taking a class together or using a video or meditation app. Find a comfortable, inspiring space to relax and enjoy your meditation. Workout: 30 minutes meditation practice

Monday: Make it happen

Today, you’re going to do some research on how to cook amazing and delicious vegetable dishes. You can do this by visiting a vegetarian restaurant, trying new ways to cook vegetables, or planning a meal together. If you’re preparing a meal together, plan to have at least four new veggie dishes to share. For further inspiration, check this website.

Tuesday: Inspired by nature

Water in nature has many special qualities. Often we are inspired by the beauty of a lake, the sounds of a running creek, or even the design of a beautiful fountain in the middle of a large city. This nature adventure will revolve around an area with water. With your friend, plan a walk to a local area with water. Once you get there, take some time to close your eyes and meditate for at least 15 minutes with the sound of the water in the background. Workout: Power walk 1 hour followed by 15-minute meditation.

Wednesday: Peak performance day

Training uphill or running stairs is a fantastic way to strengthen your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles. The workout for today will use a staircase. This could be stairs in your home, out in your yard, or even in a local park. The stair sequence should have at least 10 steps up. Plan with your buddy where you will meet. Workout: Run up stairs and walk down, complete 20 bird dogs, repeat stairs, complete 20 push-ups, repeat stairs, complete 10 walking burpees, repeat stairs, complete a side plank (hold 30 seconds on each side), repeat stairs,  complete 20 walking lunges. Repeat this whole sequence three times.

Thursday: Try something new

Even if you don’t train regularly with a personal trainer or a coach, it’s a great option to have a connection with a fitness professional you can check in with occasionally. This person should be an informative resource for you and your friend, to help you evaluate your training program and keep you motivated. Today, you’ll try a workout with a personal trainer. You could do this by booking a partner session at a nearby gym, hiring a trainer to come to one of your homes, or working out with a virtual trainer online. Spend some time researching your trainer’s level of education and expertise, and ask for referrals from previous clients. Workout: 1-hour training session for you and your buddy with a personal trainer.

Friday: Group workout

Geocaching is a popular trend that you can do all over Canada. It’s a fun way to have a couple of hours of activity when the time flies by. You and your friend will each recruit at least one more person each to come geocaching with you. You could split into teams and meet up later or go as one big group. This workout will involve lots of walking, so make sure to dress appropriately and plan your route here. For geocaching, all you need is a mobile phone with GPS. Workout: 2 hours geocaching.

Saturday: Educate and cardio

Thanks to the internet, thousands of workout videos now exist for any activity you can imagine. During the week, you and your friend will search online to find one workout video each. Try to find something that is at least 45 minutes long and an instructor who presents a style of training you’d enjoy. Plan a time to meet today and pick one of the videos to do as a workout. Workout: Finish at least one workout video. If you’re feeling energetic, do both videos today!

Sunday: Restore and relax

Today, you’ll meet up with a friend to enjoy a walk through a gallery or museum. This could be through an area with many small galleries, or one large museum. For this workout, remember you want to actually enjoy the walk, so wear proper footwear and plan to be moving for at least one hour. Workout: 1-hour walk and 10 minutes restorative stretches.

Monday: Make it happen

Developing a great smoothie recipe is a fantastic way to add extra nutrients to your diet. Smoothies are efficient because they don’t take long to make, and if you’re in a rush you can easily have them on the go. Today, you’ll need to find a recipe for a smoothie. Make sure you have some form of protein in your smoothie. This could be from a protein powder or an ingredient like almond butter. You’ll meet up with your friend at the grocery store and each buy the ingredients you need for your smoothies. Plan to walk home and you’ll each make your smoothie and have a taste test with your new smoothie recipes. Workout: 1-hour power walk.

Tuesday: Inspired by nature

Today, you and your friend will go to a botanical garden or any other area that features beautiful gardens. Plan a workout in this area — and if you pick up herbs for your garden, even better! Workout: A run-walk program. Jog for 5 minutes, walk for 1 minute. Repeat this sequence 8 times.

Wednesday: Peak performance day

Today is your final interval circuit. By now, you’ll be familiar with the program and the pace of interval training. The main idea behind intervals is when you know you have a rest coming soon, you can push yourself harder during the workout phase. Thinking about this principal during your workout, I want you to push a bit harder during the exercise portion than you have in previous workouts. We’re going to combine all the things we have learned this month into one workout! This can be done with the 30-metre jog or the stairs. Workout: 20 jumping jacks, jog or stairs, 20 push-ups, jog or stairs,20 walking lunges, jog or stairs, 20 bird dogs, jog or stairs, side plank, jog or stairs, walking burpees, jog or stairs,20 tricep dips, jog or stairs. Repeat workout three times.

Thursday: Try something new

Find a local recreation centre or hotel that has a drop-in pool. For this workout, you’ll do something in the water. You and your friend can decide what that might be. Good choices would be an aquacize class or an adult lap swim. The workout should last for at least one hour. Feel free to enjoy a hot tub or sauna after the workout.

Friday: Group workout

This is your final Friday workout of the week. Let’s go out with a party! Tonight your workout will happen on the dance floor. Each of you should recruit at least one more friend, and possibly some partners. This workout is all about dancing. Maybe head out for a night in a club. Ballroom dancing lessons are another option. Or you could try Zumba again. Anything works as long as it requires at least one hour of dancing. Hopefully, you’ll be having so much fun, you’ll continue for many hours.

Saturday: Educate and cardio

Today, you should have that wonderful relaxed feeling you often get after a night out dancing. Your feet and your body may feel a bit stiff and sore, and if you were out late you may be tired. Today, we’re going to keep things a bit more relaxed and focus on your sleep. First, you and your friend get to treat yourself to an educational movie related to health or fitness. I like, Fed Up, Fast Food Nation and The Weight of the Nation series. Even better if you can walk somewhere to see the movie and walk home. Tonight, I want you to be aware of “sleep hygiene.” Having good quality sleep is crucial if you’re trying to lose weight. To find out more about sleep hygiene and why it’s so important to your health read more here. Tonight, go to bed at least one hour earlier than normal and plan to sleep for 8 to 9 hours.

Sunday: Restore and relax

Congratulations! You made it!! 30 days of the Movember challenge behind you. Reward yourselves with a trip to the spa. A massage by a registered massage therapist is a great way for you to enhance your recovery from workouts and help prevent injuries. If you have a job where you sit most of the day, massage has added health benefits for you, by increasing your circulation and helping you maintain mobility of your postural muscles. Today, find a place to book a massage and enjoy it. You deserve it!