I feel like we say it every month but man did August seem to really fly by huh?
September always serves as a bitter sweet reminder that summer is coming to an end and colder temperatures are not far away. Because of that, I'm always trying to cram in as much outdoor activity as I can before all I want to do is put on a comfy sweater and eat chilli.
This month, we're leaning into as much sun and outdoors as possible before everyone starts to hunker down and stay inside for the next handful of months.
But before we dig into details around September, let's see how August went.
AUGUST RECAP
August saw a few changes to the Health Collective format we've been following all year. For starters, instead of a Recommended Reading, members of the Health Collective chose their own book to explore this month. We heard from a few people who enjoyed this departure from the norm and you may see that again in the future.
August also included a 'Choose Your Own Adventure'-style daily challenge where members accumulated a ridiculous amount of repetitions of an exercise of their choice. This allowed people to zero in on their specific goals and bring up a personal weakness.
The Last Sunday workout was performed just a few members deep but we saw fantastic weather and enjoyed a combination of rucking and circuit training to start our morning.
SEPTEMBER 2022
With fall just around the corner, it's never a bad idea to stop and smell the roses and really savour the tail end of the summer months. Before you know it, the days of wanting to be outside and taking in the fresh air are going to change to wanting to stay inside and binge watch that favourite tv series of yours. So, this month's goals will include waking early, enjoying the outdoors and doubling down on social connections and gatherings with friends.
SUGGESTED READING
The suggested reading for this month is The 5am Club by Robin Sharma.
As you'll see for yourself, this book is all about 5am and the power it brings to those who routinely wake up in time to take advantage of this 'Golden Hour'. While the suggested actions inside are anything but easy, they are definitely powerful and effective when properly put into practice. We think you'll like this read if you haven't read it already.
HEALTHY HABIT
February saw the Health Collective working hard to go to bed by 10pm. This month, the Healthy Habit we want you to work on is waking up early. And we mean early. If you didn't pick up on it from the title of the Suggested Reading, we're talking about 5am.
For the month of September, your challenge is to wake up every day at 5am. We don't care you how you have to do it as long as you sit up, step out of bed and begin your day at 5. In addition to this, bonus marks will be given to those who get outside first thing to take in some fresh air and 'check your senses'. This simply means taking a few minutes to ask yourself the following questions:
What do I see? (trees, cars, houses, etc)
What can I hear? (birds, traffic, music, etc.)
What do I smell? (fresh air, grass, coffee, etc.)
What do I taste? (toothpaste, orange juice, morning breath lol)
What do I feel? (pressure of my butt on the seat, warm cup in my hands, cool breeze, etc.)
This may take some preparation the night before and some strong willpower come the morning but hey, since when do we do easy things? This is supposed to be a challenge right? Well here it is - are you going to accept or what?
'LAST SUNDAY' GROUP WORKOUT
Workout Details:
5km Beach Ruck
2hr Socialize at the Beach
Date: Sunday, October 2nd, 2022 (yes, we realize this isn't September but it was the only available weekend!)
Time: 10:00am
Location: Port Stanley
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If you're on board this month and want to get down on the challenges, go ahead and grab yourself a copy of The 5am Club and set that alarm for 5am!
Send all questions, comments and concerns our way by replying to this email or reaching out on Instagram @health_collective_.
Best of luck to everyone!
-D
Better you. Better me. Better we.