Strava's Year in Sport Data Supports "The Most Crucial Tactic"
Mt. Ashland, Oregon
Strava just published its annual “Year in Sport” report, and while there's plenty of interesting data and takeaways to parse from that report, one section in particular stuck out to me. It's not right at the top, but if you dig down into it, you'll find this:
Another one for those of us setting new goals in 2023: Picking up a new activity might just be the ticket to staying more motivated.
Athletes who uploaded two or more sport types in January not only had 75% more active days compared to those who stick to just one activity, but their total active time was up by 62% as well– indicating they didn't split their time, but instead carved out more.
Put another way, diversifying your sports is the number one key to moving every single day and maintaining a healthy, active body.
I wrote about this in 2021 based on my own experience in an article titled "The Most Crucial Tactic: Diversifying Your Sports to Move Every Single Day." It's so gratifying to hear that data from over a hundred million athletes actually supports my assertion!
Motivation > Cross Training
Mt. Ashland, Oregon
While most of what I wrote in my original article focuses on the benefits of cross-training and using different muscle groups, this crucial tactic also enables increased mental and emotional motivation to get out the door and exercise. Strava's data analysis begins with athlete activities uploaded in the month of January and then analyzes their entire year based on that initial starting point. In the northern hemisphere (where the majority of the globe's population lives), January is one of the most difficult months to remain active and engaged in our fitness, especially Outside 365.
During the doldrums of winter, trying to motivate yourself to pull on all of the warm layers to brave the slush and ice on your road bike might be mentally exhausting. Similarly, pulling on microspikes and gaiters, or even just bracing yourself for cold, wet feet as you try to run through the worst weather, can be a difficult mental hurdle to overcome.
But instead of fighting the elements, what if you embraced the change of seasons and embraced the opportunities that the cold weather offers? Instead of feeling like you have to go for a run to hit your goals, what if you pulled on some snowshoes, thick boots, and warm, heavy clothes and went for a trudge through the pristine white powder blanketing the woods instead of a fast run on an icy road? What if instead of fighting the wind chills on your road bike, you strapped on a pair of backcountry nordic skis and swish-swish-swished through the forest?
We can all use a welcome mental break from the same old thing and the same old sport that we participate in day after day. When it becomes hard to enjoy your favorite sport when the weather just plain sucks, pushing to struggle through it can quickly lead to burnout instead of better fitness.
Monarch Mountain, Colorado
One of the keys to life is embracing the opportunities that life presents to you instead of constantly struggling to chase a goal that might not be what you need right now. I have created a mantra related to this: "Enjoy instead of judge." Instead of judging the current circumstances as difficult or railing against the weather that isn't cooperating, embrace what the day provides, even if that means trying something new or different.
So try something new. Buy a cheap pair of snowshoes. Pull on some skis or a snowboard. When the snow falls and winter settles in, it's far from the end: instead, it's a whole new beginning of winter exploration!
