If you played sports in high school, you have a good basis for health. But it’s hard to put a football team together in your 20’s that can play on a regular basis, and a Turkey Bowl Thanksgiving morning hardly counts as regular exercise. So you start to control the things you can control. Being a gymnast in your teen years is great, and can give your health life-long benefits. But what can you do when you’re eight-months-pregnant? Hopefully you’re giving the balance beam a rest during that stage of life.

Focusing on sports where you are in charge of your training can be a new step for many. Learning how to run, swim, or bike as an individual athlete can be a process, and learning to weight lift for the first time in your 30s can be a challenge. But what if you gave yourself some leeway to learn how to be a tougher runner, faster swimmer, longer-distance cyclist, or stronger weight lifter? 100 days is short enough to be doable, and long enough to make a difference to your health.

One of the reasons 100 days makes sense is that it gives you time to prepare for your health challenge, time to learn your new skill, and time to share it with others. At the end of 100 days, you can be quite confident in where your favorite hiking spots are located, how to cook your favorite healthy meals, and when you prefer to exercise your mind, body, and soul.

• Learn Bodyweight Exercising. 100 days is long enough to learn new ways to use body-weight exercises to fuel muscle growth and help you shrink your fat cells. Putting those new tips into action can teach you more about your personal workout preferences, something you can discover again and again throughout your lifespan. Because working out is different in your teen years than it is in your 40s, it’s important to rediscover what works best for you and your life.
• Learn Local Hikes. 100 days is long enough to find 15 hikes in your local area and leave positive reviews for them. Consider hiking Ruth Lake in the Uintas and sharing your experience with others. Hiking is an effective way to increase your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, and improve your memory and cognitive function. Hiking can be done at your own pace, and discovering new trails near your home can help you feel more active in your community and improve your psychological well-being.
• Learn to Cook Healthy Cuisine. 100 days is long enough to find recipes that will increase the amount of vitamins and minerals you digest. Maybe you’ll like the taste of banana pancakes, or find delight in every sumptuous mouthful of the popular Greek-inspired Chicken Athena recipe. Maybe you’ll find that you enjoy the taste of peas and carrots more than you did years ago. Whatever you discover, you’ll be on your way to better health and better eating.
• Learn to Play Pickleball. 100 days is long enough to learn how to play pickleball. A mixture between badminton, tennis, and ping pong, pickleball has become a sport for all ages. But what if you’ve never played before? Learning can be fun, and joining a league can help you make new friends and develop new skills. Exercise can be enjoyable and beneficial to your mental health, social health, and physical health.

Mostly because whether you visit Intermountain Healthcare or another health-care provider, we want everyone to live the healthiest life possible. Healthcare begins first in your home. Intermountain clinics and hospitals are there for your when injuries and accidents happen, but taking care of your health has always been your privilege. Our privilege is to help you live the healthiest life possible by removing obstacles to care, and delivering the best healthcare possible to our patients. It’s part of the reason our employees are called caregivers.

After all, we’re all in this together. Look for inspiration from moms who’ve undertaken the My Heart Challenge, families who’ve bettered their heart health, and school teachers united in becoming healthier. The healthiest lives begin exactly where you are. So take the challenge. Start planning, start learning, and start doing, because now has always been the time to live your best life. Trust us, 100 days from now, you’ll be glad you did.