30 Days to a Happier, Healthier Winter

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Happy New Year! Now that the holiday season is behind you, you're probably ready to settle back into a routine and reevaluate your health and fitness priorities (we know we are!). This time of year, there seems to be a new gimmick around every corner that promises to get you into the best shape of your life this time (and fast).

At SparkPeople, we don't believe in quick fixes--we believe in good, old-fashioned hard work, consistency and determination. However, we also believe that a nice boost every once in a while can re-ignite a spark that's been fizzling out. So, don't start 2014 with a gimmick that's sure to fail, or an exercise program that's way too extreme for your lifestyle. Instead, join our 30-day Winter Wellness Challenge; a realistic, sensible plan that will steer you in the right direction for a happier, healthier year ahead—no gimmicks and no fine print. Just honest, doable challenges to make you feel great, inside and out, all winter long. 
 
You can head right over to https://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/winter-wellness.asp now to check out the challenge, or keep on reading for more details on how the plan works and what to expect.



What can I expect from the Winter Wellness Challenge?
  • Daily Emails to Keep You on Track
    By visiting the Winter Wellness Challenge page and opting in for emails at the top of the page, you can get each day's challenge delivered right to your inbox (or your email-enabled mobile phone) so you know exactly what to do each day to stay on track with the program. Don't worry, we never sell, rent or share emails with anyone else—and we'll only email you for 30 days. Note that once you sign up, you should expect to receive your first challenge email the following day at 8 am EST.
     
  • 30 Mini Challenges to Help You Look and Feel Your Best All Winter
    Each day, you'll get a "mini-challenge" to complete to help you stay on track with your health, fitness and wellness goals this winter. These will help you stay accountable to your program for the whole month, reminding you of what to do, offering great tips, and keeping your goals top of mind. Challenges will include a mix of workouts, health tips, motivation boosters and simple nutritional challenges. The workouts are designed to be as accessible as possible to limit excuses: No gym membership or equipment required. All you need is a little space and a little willpower!
     
  • 150 SparkPoints
    Yep, you read that right! You can earn 5 SparkPoints for each daily challenge you complete. Just visit the challenge page each day (go to www.sparkpeople.com/winterwellness or sign up for the emails) and click the "Earn Your SparkPoints" button to signal that you completed that day's task. It's just that easy!
     
  • Social Support Wherever You Are
    Use the #WinterWellness hashtag on FacebookTwitter and Pinterest to ask questions, post about your progress, and tell us how the day's challenge went. Encourage your friends to join you! When you use the #WinterWellness hashtag, we'll be right there to respond to your posts and cheer you on! Be sure to follow our Winter Wellness Pinterest board, too, for more workouts, eat-right tips and motivation.  
  • Open to Anyone: Invite Your Friends to Join!
    While members can earn SparkPoints for participating, this plan is available to everyone, even if they aren't a SparkPeople member! Share the challenge with your friends by posting it on Facebook, sending an email link, and more. Anyone can sign up for daily challenge emails just by entering their email address. We know that people are more successful when they have support; and sometimes a little friendly competition can do wonders, so get your friends on board to do the daily challenges together for maximum accountability and results!
Sounds great! How do I sign up?
Go to our Winter Wellness Challenge page and sign up by entering your email address. After you've signed up, you will receive one email per day for the next 30 days with a reminder to complete your daily challenge (and get your SparkPoints). If you don't want to share your email, you can still participate: Just be sure to bookmark or Pin the page for easy access.

When does it start?
RIGHT NOW. The plan doesn't have an "official" start or end date. It's open and ready for you to join any day, any week, or any month! The sooner you start, the sooner you'll get the plan, accountability and support you need to help you get to the next level. Don't put off your goals: Start the plan today!

 *NOTE: Your ad-blocker must be turned off to access the content in this challenge. The daily challenge activities show up as pop-up windows, which may be mistaken for ads by your ad-blocker.

The Winter Wellness Challenge, created by SparkPeople's experts, has been made possible thanks to our sponsor Progresso, who has 40+ of filling and delicious soups with 100 calories (or less!) per serving. Thanks to Progresso for making this challenge possible for our readers!