Having quarantined since mid-March, when April rolled around I found myself wanting something that would incorporate movement into my day-to-day life.
On Instagram and Tik Tok I saw people raving about Chloe Ting, a fitness coach, and her “challenges”.
I came across her YouTube channel and found that she provides free workout programs on her website, chloeting.com.
Her free workout programs are a selection of videos to follow every day that are connected to her YouTube channel.
Excited to try one out for myself, I chose the “28 Day Flat Tummy Challenge”.
I’m typically not a fan of things that inadvertently suggest that your current body isn’t adequate (aka my unflat tummy) but I saw this challenge as an opportunity to:
a) commit to moving my body once a day for 28 days;
b) strengthen my core;
&
c) lose a few pounds along the way.
I wanted to make sure that I was in the right mindset before starting something like this. As someone who has struggled with exercising consistently and has had their weight fluctuate, I wanted to approach this challenge not from a place of hating my body, but from a place of loving it enough to take care of it better.
Thus, on April 1, 2020, I started the challenge! I kept a brief daily journal on my Notes app to document my feelings throughout the challenge…
Day 1
I felt great after. I loved the flow of the videos and being able to do it alongside the instructor (Chloe). I struggled with my form on certain movements but overall felt accomplished once I finished them.
Day 2
I felt great after but struggled still with the plank-based exercises.
Day 3
I liked the full body workout a lot more than the ab workout. I realized that I like doing the workouts the first thing in the morning rather than waiting.
Day 4
It was really challenging. I need to find a way to make the movements not strain my neck and back. I felt proud of myself for pushing through and finishing strong.
Day 5
I definitely felt the burn. I am still struggling with my form but working on it.
Day 6
Today’s workout was quick and manageable.
Day 7
Today was supposed to be an active rest day but I was not very active. Oops.
Day 8
I really didn’t feel like doing it at all. It was really challenging and tiring but I made it through.
Day 9
Sounds cheesy, but I got teary eyed at certain points during the workout. When the movements were challenging my body felt so heavy and I got ashamed of how much I let myself go.
Day 10
I definitely need to work on upper body strength. It was nice only having a 10 minute workout today.
Day 11
Today felt a little easier than yesterday, I liked the shorter segments.
Day 12
Another day where I dreaded doing it before and during the workout, but after I finished it I felt proud.
Day 13
An absolute struggle bus but I finished!
Day 14
I love when it’s only a 10 minute workout. I felt strong doing certain movements like the dolphin plank.
Day 15
I felt better getting the workout done earlier in the day. The past few days I’ve been waiting til 9pm or later to do it. Yikes.
Day 16
I struggled again on the plank-based exercises. They really hurt my wrists for some reason!
Day 17-22
I grouped these days together. I found myself looking forward to getting the workouts done, it’s added some structure to my often structureless quarantine days. I made some modifications to certain expertises to take the strain off my back and wrists (such as doing a regular plank instead of plank jacks).
Day 23
I almost pushed today’s workout to tomorrow since it’s my birthday but I made it happen. I’ve found that something like this proves that I can show up for myself and push past the excuses I make in my head!
Day 24
I did today’s workout right before midnight…oops. Powered through though!
Day 25
I have seen improvements in my form! Especially during the toe touch lunge…my balance has improved significantly.
Day 26
I worked out late again…finished at 11:15pm. It feels great to knock these workouts out!
Day 27
So close. That’s all.
Day 28
Replaced the 2,000 rep workout for a walk with my dog but WOOO! Finished the challenge.
Overall…
I came out of this challenge feeling very proud of moving my body once a day for 28 days in a row. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a streak like that. I found myself looking forward to the exercises everyday. While I took progress pictures and weighed in periodically, I am most proud of forming a habit of incorporating movement into my day-to-day life. Chloe recommends taking a week off before starting another challenge but I will still incorporate dog walks and some garage workouts in the meantime. Appearance wise, I guess you can say my tummy is a little flatter. It definitely looks more toned in some places and less “puffy”. I ended up losing between 2.5 and 3 pounds as a result of this challenge. If you’re looking for some structured movement, I would definitely recommend checking Chloe’s website out!
