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January Challenge 2021


By - Richard - 8th February 2021

New year wasn’t quite the fresh start I was hoping for…

January 2021 conspired to be the perfect storm of difficult situations as I dealt with lockdown, home-schooling, work project cancellations and a heartbreaking loss that affected me deeply. This video documents my difficult month and how I was able to come out of it by moving. By literally putting one foot in front of another.

I was invited to be part of a steps challenge for the month. Little did I know just how much of a life-saver this was going to be.

The challenge came from my awesome personal trainer, Murray Macpherson, and there were four parts to it:

1) Walk a minimum of 300,000 steps

2) Take on a personal challenge

3) No processed foods

4) No alcohol

The thinking behind it is that people who incorporate good healthy habits in January tend to do much better for the rest of the year.

Never one to turn down a challenge, I launched myself head first into this. But everything came crashing down in the middle of the month and I felt completely bereft.

But pushing forward with the steps challenge was the only thing I could do. It turned everything around.

Within a couple of weeks, I was walking a ludicrous amount of steps every day. My two boys told me they wanted me to win the steps challenge, so how much more motivation did I need?

I fully appreciate that my situation in January was similar to many others (especially parents of your children) and there are people who are going through far tougher times than me. But January hit me hard. I’m just very grateful that I found a way out of it.

Check out the amazing Edinburgh-based Person Trainer Murray Macpherson at: adapttohealth.com

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About the Author

Richard Nicholls - Managing Director

Before launching Swift Films, Richard worked as a broadcast TV director and editor, working on programmes for the BBC, ITV and Sky.

A multi-skilled and technically-minded filmmaker, Richard is equally at home coming up with creative concepts as he is on location filming or pulling footage together in the edit suite.

Richard is a member of Independent Producers Scotland and has a love of cats, football, chocolate and Film Noir (in that order).