Buzz
Last week, I pushed myself to complete 31 pull-ups, 31 air squats, 31 push-ups, and 31 reverse lunges per leg as fast as possible, followed by a roughly 31-mile bike ride a few days later. The intense burn in my arms had me questioning my life choices, yet I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.
For the past several years, I’ve celebrated my birthday with an unconventional workout. Last year, I performed 30 squats with a barbell loaded with my body weight—a grueling yet exhilarating experience. The previous year, I swam 29 laps. This year, I captured the 20-minute ordeal in a comical timelapse video.
These workouts serve as a unique way to honor the passing of another year and shake me out of the monotony of daily life. They reinforce the idea that embracing physical discomfort can be beneficial, especially when life feels too comfortable (and occasionally, it can even be enjoyable).
While my recent workout was challenging, it pales in comparison to Heidi Dorow’s 40th birthday feat. A New York-based philanthropist, Dorow embarked on an extraordinary mission: for 40 consecutive hours, she tackled tires, crawled on all fours, pulled weighted ropes, scaled ladders, and navigated a two-mile indoor obstacle course she designed inside Judson Church in New York City.
She absolutely crushed it, though not without some battle scars. However, her motivation extended beyond simply celebrating her birthday. Dorow, now 52, shared with me her lifelong fascination with the extreme challenges ultra-endurance athletes endure. (Events like the Badwater Ultramarathon can stretch up to 135 miles.)
For her, this workout mirrored the same level of, well, agony. But above all, she aimed to maintain her strength and vitality as she aged. “Aging often leads to complacency and a craving for comfort. Physical activity is our way of resisting those limits,” Dorow explained.
Start Your Own Fitness Challenge
You can also take on a demanding workout for your birthday, though it doesn’t have to fall exactly on that day.
The idea of “challenging” varies widely from person to person. For example, The Atlantic has highlighted how people willingly pay to participate in perilous, exhausting military-style obstacle courses to break free from workplace monotony. Globally, hundreds of thousands register for long-distance races. Over 50,000 runners participated in the 2016 New York City Marathon alone. I’ve also completed a marathon—once. Then there’s Joel Runyon, who has completed seven ultramarathons across seven continents, stating, “What I love about ultras is that they push beyond what most people think is achievable.”
The takeaway? Take action, especially if you feel stuck in a rut.
Your challenge doesn’t need to be overly extreme, and ultra-marathons aren’t a requirement (perhaps begin with a 5K!). If you’re looking for something quick, manageable, and requiring minimal preparation, here are some suggestions (where X can represent your age):
Sprint 100 yards X times
Complete a typically lengthy run or workout in under X minutes
Perform X bodyweight squats within X seconds or minutes
Execute X burpees
Sustain an intense pace in spin class for X seconds or minutes
Climb X feet on a rope
Carry X pounds for X meters, repeated X times
Do walking lunges continuously for X minutes
Pushing through challenges, no matter the duration, can be both grueling and rewarding: The workout or event itself might feel absolutely brutal, but the sense of accomplishment afterward makes the struggle worth it. As Runyon points out, overcoming the hardships of an ultra-marathon or similarly demanding workout puts everyday problems into perspective, making them seem far less intimidating—and sometimes even insignificant.
Whatever you choose to do, ensure you gradually build up to that level of fitness. Your workout should be sufficiently challenging to push you out of your comfort zone, but not so extreme that it leads to injury. But hey, I’m not here to lecture you.
