BBC Brainsmart on YouTube features irresistible tutorials with animated stickdrawings how to stay smart. The Scottish accented narration is a bonus!
Why are the SmartyGirlLeadership (SGL) editors mentioning this? Because we agree with Brainsmart that taking care of the body benefits the mind.
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Photo Credit: Mud Run Team Tribe Sports via Pinterest |
As a result, we want to reward SmartyGirlLeaders and SmartyFellas, who accept our Summer Fitness Challenge.
Health & Fitness sponsors have provided us with swag so we are having a giveaway. Contact us with your fitness promotion proposal and give us a report of your results. Our purpose is to empower leaders so this is a game: a stretch of your abilities to inspire, recruit, and celebrate. For book recommendations on leadership, you can visit this past blog post.
Self-improvement is good. Improvement with friends by your side? Even better.
Here’s a thought-starter to show you what we mean:
Step 1: Identify a cause and a fitness event. Do you care about a particular health cause? Maybe there is a 5K race in your area in July where the race fee goes towards that cause. What is one example of a cause?
Perhaps you know a local family friend with a bacterial infection, Lyme disease, caused by a tick. Under Your Skin is a documentary that shows how it can make athletes bedridden.
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Photo Caption: Under Our Skin Lyme Disease Film Facebook Page |
Decide to galvanize a group to run the 5K to raise funds for the patient to help pay for medical treatments. The disease attacks tissues of the muscles, joints and brain. Consider making it super-easy for others to donate by using a Paypal service like the Dafforn family’s Lyme Disease Fundraiser.
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Photo Credit: Paypal Ashley Dafforn’s Lyme Disease Fundraiser |
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Photo Credit: SGL Associate Editor Erica and Marathoner Built Homes in Nicaragua for Habitat for Humanity |
In the photo above, SGL Associate Editor Erica joined the Habitat for Humanity effort in Nicaragua to build homes to improve the health of others. Our neighbors in Nicaragua did not have ventilation in their make-shift shelter and the soot from the kitchen smoke was damaging to their family. That’s Erica: using her physical fitness to improve the health of a neighborhood!
Step 2: Ask people to join your team. Are you new at 5K runs, walks or obstacle courses? Are you unable to round up a team of 6 in time for the online registration to register as captain? No problem. Bring 5 medium-sized solid color shirts, facepaint or sweatbands (i.e. neon green). At the event, find other first-timer 5K individuals and ban together as an Insta-Team. Major points for leadership-on-the-spot!
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Photo Credit: BlogHer 2011 Amazeballs Banjees via Pinterest |
Step 3: Tell us about the results what you learned as a leader in this fitness event, how you measured success and how you celebrated with your team. It’s simple. We even provide 2 ways for you to send us the same information. Take your pick. You can choose to answer by Google Form. Your answers can be short phrases. Complete sentences not required.
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Photo Credit: Copy Captain Andrea and The 4 Lizards. It’s ok with us! |
Or you can tell us via SurveyMonkey. Click on the green and white image below for sample answers for the first 5 questions.
Still not sure, how to qualify as a Fitness Captain? Here’s another thought-starter:
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Photo Credit: SGL Associate Editor Erica and Editor-in-Chief Renee |
Step 1: Identify 3 people you exercise with regularly. Do you play badminton with your son? Is your littlest girl just old enough to sit and roll a ball? Do you and your partner take walks after lunch on Saturdays? Family are people too! So if you are a parent or caregiver, think of how to co-opt your Sig O or caregiver and the kids to create a fitness routine. In other words, family members count as your 3 followers. Adapt it to what makes sense. Toddler marathoner not required 🙂
Waive the $15 per person entry fee for captains if you register between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 8th! *You don’t need to be female or a mom, just willing to be a captain to lead 3 followers! Meet our Street Team in person at Sports Authority. See our invite video:
Step 2: Set the fitness goal. Again, customize the challenge to your team. Is it adding 15 minutes of active play per day to your existing routine? Is it playing a soccer pick-up game without being winded before half-time? Trust yourself. You decide.
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Photo Credit: Soccer Memes via Pinterest |
Step 3: You’re in control. You decide the concluding fitness event. Captains measure progress week per week but you decide if it is for 3 weeks or 6 weeks. You are in charge of the duration. What will be the final test (you create)? Most importantly, how will you celebrate with your team? Is it with a trip to a shop for sorbet sandwiches? You choose. Send photos or videos via Google Drive to our staff so we can cheer for you too.
Will you combine two of your hobbies (i.e. Stand Up Comedy writing and fitness) and be Captain Mike of Team Laughing Fit? Can’t wait to hear about the other combinations.
Will you find a way to multiply this effect and host a fitness challenge of your own in fall? We hope so. We will notify you, using the contact information, you provide if you win.
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Photo Credit: Amazon.com 22 & Single by Katie Kiesler |
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Photo Credit: Denet Lewis Bodybuilding Competition |
In addition to our Summer Fitness Challenge Giveaway, SmartyGirlLeadership and SmartyFella Readers can stay motivated by reading our upcoming exclusive interviews with two Kickstarter-funded novelists: Jack Cheng of These Days and Katie Kiesler of 22 & Single. Stay tuned for exclusive Q&A with High Five Fitness TV Founder Denet Lewis and others who are smart about fitness.
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Photo Credit: Katie Kiesler |
Who are some of our sponsors of the Giveaway?
Luna Bar is the official energy bar sponsor of the Summer Fitness Challenge. Yours Truly loves the Lemon Zest flavor Luna Bar. It’s true that my second favorite is Chocolate Peppermint Stick. Do you like the new Carrot Cake Luna Bar? Visit us on Twitter, Facebook and this blog to find out when our street teams will be in your neighborhood to reward participants in our Summer Fitness Challenge.
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Photo Credit: Luna Bar SmartyGirlLeadership Summer Fitness Challenge energy bar sponsor |
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Photo Credit: Honey Badger Drink Fearless SmartyGirlLeadership Summer Fitness Challenge drink sponsor
Photo Credit: Sports Authority SGL partner for live on-site Summer Fitness Challenge in-store registration |
Cal and Stanford have a friendly blood donation competition they call “Rivalry for Life”. Guess which school heard about our fitness challenge and donated swag keychains? You guessed it.
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Photo Credit: SmartyGirl Stanford Blood Center Rivalry for Life Keychain |
Other awesome rivalries are welcome. Other thought-starters: why not challenge your rival school’s sorority or fraternity to fitness for a cause? We can’t wait to hear about it. Photos encouraged!
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Photo Credit: Yours Truly Editor-in-Chief SmartyGirl Renee |
Here’s my own Fitness Challenge: