A core principle of doing anything well is to practice often. Maybe you throw a bullseye on your first ever dart, but it’s unlikely to repeat with consistency. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking sports, business, relationships, sleep routines, running a mile a day or nutrition habits; long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity for repeatable results.

In 2019, we hosted the “1 Mile A Day” running challenge. The rules are simple (there is only one):

Rule #1

Run 1 mile a day in any shape or form (“speed” is subjective here).

(Notes…for those of you that ask caveated questions for everything that is physically challenging: Yes, you can complete the miles outside or inside, on anything from a treadmill to the moon to sandy, remote beaches. No, there are no days off. There are no “excuses” for not doing it. Not, you may not run 2 miles to make up for a lost day; it is a daily challenge. Yes, you may run more than 1 mile!)

Simple. No excuses. Run 1 mile a day.

Why Are We Doing This 1 Mile a Day Challenge?

For one, it’s simple. We tend to overcomplicate our fitness endeavors, so much so to the point that we never even do them. We seem paralyzed by the overwhelming options for classes, programs, Instafamous trainers, poor, atheistically-driven marketing with unrealistic targets, body image debates, etc.

Frankly, we don’t care what you look like. We care what accomplishing a simple goal like this will make you feel like. Then, we care what you translate that feeling into, whether it’s more energy for work, love, or changing the world.

This is the foundation of Live Better; take care of your health and it will take care of you.

The Challenge Details

We like the ease of completion of this 1-mile challenge. If you are under a time crunch, run FAST. Have the afternoon to yourself? Enjoy a few miles outside. If you’re just getting back into running, go slow and use it as a performance metric for improving your stride or an entry into running more often. Putting down a 2-hour marathon? Good, then all the miles you’re running will count.

Notice that we aren’t attaching a speed to this goal; that’s up to you. This is also a “micro” goal, meaning it’s a daily dose of movement meant to fit within an overall routine. Your “meso” goal (monthly) might be to complete a Nike Run Club challenge within the app. Your “macro” goal (annual) might be to complete the marathon, as it has been ours in the past.

This goal is digestible. There is no subjectivity to it. You either did one mile of “running” or you didn’t. We’re not interested in your excuses for why you couldn’t complete it. We’re DEFINITELY interested to hear how you DID complete it, despite all the crazy things that might happen in a day. Run the mile in an airport terminal? Tell us about it!

Make an excuses to get your mile in, even if you need to jog in circles in your living room.

1 Mile A Day.

We’d love to see you participate with us on this Live Better challenge. Join the fun and tag #1MileADay on Instagram and tag us @livebetterco.