A fun, challenging, and friendly way to get stronger this winter

With a special discount code AND! announcing a drawing winner!

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

First things first: The fresh start effect is absolutely real. When we experience a marker of a new chapter beginning — whether it’s a new day, a new month, or even starting a new job or moving to a new home — the possibilities feel endless. We have energy and optimism about being able to make positive changes, turn away from what hasn’t been serving us, and reach our goals.

So while I’m not a fan of some of the diet culture rhetoric that typically infuses the New Year’s resolution conversation, I do think January can still be a powerful reset opportunity. It’s a great moment to seize on that energy so we can reconnect with our bodies, reset our movement habits, and maybe even feel a little stronger.

That’s why I’m so jazzed to be preparing for a 30-Day Winter Strength Challenge, which will kick off on Sunday, January 4. I’m telling you about it now so you can sign up before the chaos of this season takes any thoughts of your own wellbeing out of your mind! Your January self will thank you ;-)

Here’s the deal: In just 30 days, we’ll work together to build a sustainable 3x/week strength habit, and we’ll incorporate cardio, Pilates, and mobility to help our bodies feel energized and supported. It’s just $99 (or $49 for paid How to Move subscribers! discount code just past the paywall!*)

SIGN UP HERE!

(Please check out with the email address you’d like me to send the materials to, or enter it in the little note field!)

What you’ll get:

• A four-week strength plan: strength and conditioning workouts, a weekly Pilates sequence, and ideas for making the most of each day

• Video library: quick demos of every exercise + warmup and cooldown routines + 30-minute Pilates workout. NEW to this challenge: a full, complete video for each workout in case you’re craving more guidance!

• Habit tracker: a printable to check off your wins and track your progress

• Weekly motivation emails: tips and accountability in your inbox

• Support and connection: a private Slack workspace with 1:1 access to me, and optional group chat for mutual encouragement and community

And yes, you will need dumbbells (preferably a range, including some very-heavies). The official training calendar starts on Sunday, January 4, and participants will receive all materials by Saturday, January 3 so they can hit the ground running — BUT if you’ve got travel or other obligations and can’t start right away, it’s okay: There’s a DIY calendar in the program that allows you to move things around and write in different dates. You’ll have access to all the materials for as long as you need them (though the Slack workspace will close on February 15).

And if the number of workouts each week feels daunting, I totally get it: I’ll be offering suggestions for how to pare it down so you can stay consistent within the reality of your life, schedule, energy level, and other constraints.

This 30-day challenge gives you clear guidance for exactly what to do if you want to build a long-term strength habit. It’s designed to be efficient, realistic, and repeatable: and the combination of strength with Pilates, cardio, and conditioning will help you feel strong, energetic, and supported. All through a body-neutral, anti-diet lens.

REGISTER NOW!

You might remember that I did a similar challenge back in September — maybe you were even part of it! — and I was absolutely blown away by the incredible cohort of movers who participated, challenged themselves, and cheered each other on so generously in our Slack community. (If you were, in fact, there: Know that this challenge will have a similar structure — with the addition of full workout videos, per your helpful feedback — and ALL NEW workouts. And the big Plan document is getting a cute wintry makeover!)

In a little survey I did at the end of the fall challenge, 77% of respondents rated it as a 5/5 experience (and another 11% rated it a 4/5!). Gah, I love that!

I also loved what some of the participants shared about their experiences, and today I’m going to let them speak for themselves. (Not everyone gave me a name or pseudonym, so I assigned a few myself, hah.)

“After an overuse injury from walking/running, I realized I needed far more strength training than boring physical therapy exercises forever. I didn’t know where to start. This challenge made starting easy and non-threatening — and reminded me that strength training doesn’t have to be a commitment to some kind of consuming muscle-head workout. Just pick up the damn weights and do the reps, 15 min.! I referred to the videos over and over for form, each time hearing cues differently as I mastered the last one. I especially liked the variations Anna modeled.” —B

“I liked this challenge because it takes the decision making out of it! There are set strength workouts, your choice of cardio, and Pilates on different days. I definitely was able to increase my weights as I progressed in the challenge and I’m glad to set a standard of working out 6/7 days a week!” —J

“This program helped me build confidence and independence with strength training. Rather than following along step-by-step with an instructor or video***, Anna provided a video preview of each move which helped me to learn the moves on my own, which was very empowering. The flexible, realistic format made it easy to fit into my daily routine, and I appreciated how doable and sustainable it felt. One of the things I valued most was the anti-diet, body-neutral approach. The focus was on feeling strong and good in your body, rather than weight loss or aesthetic goals which aligned with my values and made the experience even more rewarding. I’d highly recommend it as an entry point into strength training!” —Margaret DC

***The fall challenge did not include full workout videos for all workouts, but thanks to popular demand I’ll be filming full-length videos for the winter challenge so those who want them can use them.

“The challenge was just what I needed to get into a new mindset with exercise, especially weights. I missed a couple of days and instead of simply giving up I got back to it. The challenge offers a terrific assortment of workouts over the course of a week. I’m not bored with the workouts after 4 weeks because the modification cues that Anna provides allow me to step up on my own timeline.” —CL

“I really enjoyed the fall challenge! As someone who hasn’t done strength training in years (pre-COVID and pre-parenting), I was very hesitant I’d be able to stick with something and very unsure where and how to begin. The structure of the workouts was awesome — it gave me just enough of a guide to take the guesswork out of it and make it less daunting to do, with enough flexibility to fit it into (most) days, even when that was later in the evening than I would have liked. It was wonderful to have Anna available to answer questions and directions and guidance!” —Erin

“As always, Anna was thoughtful in her organization and helpful with tips and modifications. Great structure for committing to regular workouts.” —Michaelann

“All the workouts were accessible and the modifications you offered were great. I’d been hesitant about returning to strength training and your workouts are perfect, I am definitely stronger than when I started!” —M

*After the paywall, you’ll find the discount code for paid subscribers. If you’ve been considering upgrading your subscription, now’s a great time — you’ll save $50 on the challenge and gain access to every single How to Move workout so you can easily keep the momentum going when you’re done. (I apologize that the paywall here means you cannot leave a comment on this post if you aren’t a paid subscriber. Please feel free to DM me with any questions!)

Hope to see you for the challenge! Here’s the registration link ONE MORE TIME!

OH WAIT, one more thing! When I sent around my reader survey a couple of months ago, I offered a chance to win free access to this challenge. I just did the drawing, and a reader named Laura N. won! Laura, be sure to check your email for more information — congratulations!

xo
Anna