Frequently Asked Questions

Here is how the challenge and this group work.

💪 Our goal is to get more movement in this month. It can be any type of movement, as long as it is something extra you would not have done without this challenge.

🎉 At the end of the month, anyone who moved for 15 minutes at least 16 times will be eligible to join a raffle for a $25 Amazon gift card.

However you want. There are two options, and you can use either one, both, or neither.

Posting in the WhatsApp group. So many women love posting when they get extra movement in. It keeps you accountable and it inspires other women to do the same.

The digital tracker. Log your movement on your own at hennashomer.com/track.

If you do not use either one, that is completely fine too. Just fill out the poll at the end of the month, and you are eligible for the raffle.

There are two parts to this, and it helps to separate them.

Getting more movement into your day is amazing, full stop. Any extra movement you get is worth celebrating, whatever it looks like for you. No two people have the same life, schedule, or body, so what feels like a small addition for one woman might be a real stretch for another. All of it counts as a win.

Raffle eligibility is a bit more specific. Movement counts toward the raffle when it is intentional, meaning you chose to do it specifically because you were trying to add extra movement you would not normally do. So the walk you already take to shul every week is wonderful, but it would not count toward the raffle since it is not something new you added because of the challenge. The walk you added around the block after dinner, because you were thinking about the challenge, does count.

No, because this is not an exercise challenge. It is a movement challenge, and those are two different things. Movement is all of it: taking the stairs instead of the elevator, getting up and down off the floor, carrying your groceries, dancing with your kids. Any time you move your body more than you normally would, that counts as movement.

Exercise is one type of movement, but all movement is good for you, even when it is not official exercise.

There is a wide range of women in this group. Some already work out and are looking to add even more. Many are not working out at all, and are instead learning to build intentional movement into a day that is already full. Both are welcome here.

So many things. Here are real examples from women in the group:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park farther away from the store than you need to
• Stand for computer work instead of sitting (a walking pad is a fun bonus if you have one)
• At the park with your kids, get up and play instead of sitting on the bench
• Knead challah dough
• Carry groceries up and down the stairs
• Leave a few minutes early for carpool and walk before pickup, or walk a bit after drop off
• Put on a song and dance with your kids
• Sit on the floor instead of the couch
• Go for a walk with a friend instead of sitting and catching up
• Walk or pace while you are on the phone
• Run after your toddler instead of walking
• Jump or dance with your kids when music is on
• Do a squat every time you pick up the baby
• Walk around the park with your kids instead of watching from a bench
• Choose to shop in store instead of ordering delivery

This one surprises people, but it holds up. A chair with a backrest lets your body settle into one static position and stay there. The floor does not give you that option.

Getting up and down is the biggest part. Moving from the floor to standing is a full body, weight bearing motion. It strengthens your legs, hips, and core, and it takes your joints through a much bigger range of motion than standing up from a chair does. Practicing this regularly also builds the balance and coordination that helps prevent falls.

Once you're down there, you're still moving. A hard surface does not let you settle into one passive position the way a couch does. Your body naturally shifts to find comfort, and those small position changes activate different muscles and keep your joints mobile. Without a backrest, your core has to engage just to keep you upright, so you are quietly strengthening your center the whole time you sit.