Be fearless, live fearless your own way

Now in its third year, the Live Fearless Challenge is on again this September. The challenge is an opportunity to get active, and a chance to spread the word about Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (collectively inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)) and fundraise in the hope to find a cause or cure for Crohn’s and colitis impacting many young Australians.  

Now more than ever, Australians need to stay connected and active and the Live Fearless Challenge is the perfect way to do this. Participants commit to doing 150kms of activity during September. You can walk, run, swim, cycle, workout or stretch your way to 150km! That’s only 5kms per day. You can take the challenge by yourself or form a team and motivate each other through the month. COVID-19 restrictions may be limiting where we can go but we can still keep moving and do some activity each day, regardless of your fitness level.  

The main requirement of the Live Fearless Challenge is to set yourself a personal fitness goal. You can run a marathon if you’re fit and able, or commit to a moderate routine of walking or yoga. The idea is if you stick to your goal for the month of September your chance of forming healthy exercise habits will be increased. CCA even provides videos of yoga routines that can be followed by beginners if you’ve never tried it before.  

Staying physically active is really important for everyone but especially so for people with Crohn’s or colitis. Preliminary observations from an ongoing Sydney-based study into the benefits of resistance training for people with IBD indicate that many people with IBD are unaware of other existing health conditions such as osteoporosis but often have difficulty starting exercise because of IBD related joint pain.  

The lead researcher of the study from The University of Sydney, Dr Daniel Hackett, shares some insights into the study so far: “Participants in the study have reported less fatigue, greater enjoyment following exercise sessions, and generally more positive thoughts about managing their condition following the resistance training intervention. Also, I have observed increased muscle strength and power following the intervention which is important for improving bone health, physical function, and other health markers in people with IBD.” 

Nearly 100,000 people in Australia are living with Crohn’s or colitis, but the diseases are still not commonly spoken about. Another benefit of participating in the Live Fearless Challenge is that it allows people affected by IBD to talk about their experiences of living with a chronic illness. From a survey of previous participants 92% said that the Live Fearless Challenge helped them talk about Crohn’s and colitis with friends and colleagues. 

A lot of people are stuck inside their homes more than they usually would be because of COVID-19. This has increased people’s stress and anxiety and getting out of the house to go for a walk can be truly beneficial. 

“Movement is not just about the physical effects (although they are HUGE), but also for mental and emotional wellbeing too. Movement encourages the production and distribution of neurotransmitters responsible for mood, pain levels, sleep, brain function, immunity and more. So walk, run, stretch, roll out a yoga mat at home – whatever suits you, and help us place the spotlight on a cause that gets very little attention and yet should!” says wellbeing coach and Live Fearless Ambassador, Flic Manning. 

Will you be fearless this September? Registration is FREE, so register yourself or your team today at www.livefearlesschallenge.com.au