Movember is here and it’s time to focus on prostate cancer and male health. Exercise both prevent cancer and play an important role in both treatment and rehabilitation of cancer. This year Movember has made the campaign Move that encourages people to be active. Get active with our 4 -week Movember program!
Participate in Norways fittest county here!
WEEK-1
Monday
Endurance program “1×4 minutes kick-start”
- 10-minute warm-up, slow jog or brisk walk to get you sweating a little, preferably on an incline or hill to get your heart rate up more quickly, and to limit the stress on your knees.
- 4 minutes of walking or running uphill so you feel tired and winded. If you have a heart rate monitor, you should be at around 85-95% of your maximum heart rate towards the end of the 4-minute period (see the FAQ on how to find maximal heart rate).
- 5-minute cool-down – and lo and behold, you’re back home where a hot shower awaits, and the rest of your evening is free for other activities – not to mention you’re on the path to improved fitness!
Wednesday
Endurance program “20 minutes Fun-Run”
- Warm up for 10 minutes at a comfortable pace
- Run or walk for 20 minutes at an intensity you are comfortable with, but a bit harder than the speed at the warm-up – without stopping.
Core strength program
- 15 squats. Exercise the front of your thighs (quadriceps), buttocks and lots of stabilizer muscles. Keep your hands behind your neck and keep your legs a shoulder width apart. Keep your back upright (look up and forward, and tighten your abdominal muscles somewhat), bend your legs and “go down” as far as you can without losing your balance. Go down slowly and upwards relatively quickly.
- 10 squat jumps – same movements as for squats described above, but move so quickly up that you jump up in the air.
Friday
Endurance program (“2×4 minutes health boost”)
- 10-minute warm-up to get you sweating lightly.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 5 minutes of calm walking – and just like that, you’re done for the week!
Give yourself an hour or two and check the feeling you have now – well done!
WEEK-2
Monday
Endurance program “4×4 Health-Booster”
- 10-minute warm-up to get you sweating.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 5-minute cool-down – well done.
Check the feeling after a warm/cold shower – amazing – enjoy!
Tuesday
Endurance program “20 minutes Fun-Run”
- Warm up for 10 minutes at a comfortable pace.
- Run or walk for 20 minutes at intensity you are comfortable with, but a bit harder than the speed at the warm-up – without stopping.
Core strength program
Thursday
Endurance program “4×4 Health-Booster”
Described Monday this week – go for it!
Friday
Endurance program “20 minutes Fun-Run”
As described Tuesday this week – easy for you!
Core strength program
- 10 push-ups, either regular ones or with bent knees.
- 15 squats.
- 10 squats jumps.
- 10 push-ups.
- 15 squats.
- 10 squats jumps.
- 10 push-ups.
- 15 squats.
- 10 squats jump.
WEEK-3
Monday
Endurance program: CERG´s Health Booster #1
This session is demanding and will be felt in body and soul – but trust us – It is effective and is a real booster toward improved health and younger fitness age. Find a suitable activity and jump into it!
- 10-minute warm-up, slow jog or brisk walk to get you sweating, preferably on an incline or hill to get your heart rate up more quickly, and to limit the stress on your knees.
- 4 minutes of walking or running (uphill) so you feel tired and winded. If you have a heart rate monitor, you should be at around 85-90% of your maximum heart rate (see how to define this at ntnu.edu/cerg/physical-exercise#4).
- Three minutes active rest (to get rid of lactic acid) – walk or move slowly – do not stand still!
- 1-minute as quick as you can – but don’t stop before 1-minute – adjust the intensity if required so you manage the whole minute.
- 1-minute active break – move around.
- 1-minute as quick as you can.
- 1-minute active break – move around.
- 1-minute as quick as you can.
- 3 minutes active break.
- Repeat #2 (4-min interval).
- 3 minute active break.
- 1-minute as quick as you can.
- 1-minute active break.
- 1-minute as quick as you can.
- 5-minute cool-down to get ready for strength training that you may think that is too much for today… but it is not… give it a try!
Core strength training
- Abdominal-planking – alternate between standing on the elbows and having straight arms. Alternate between moving “opposite” foot and hand forward/backward. Try to do it for 1 minute, 20 sec rest and repeat once more.
- Side-Planking (on your elbows or straight arms). Do as many as you can, twice on each side with 30 seconds rest between each round. Remember to focus on having the right technique so that you form a “straight out” both front, side and top. For each repetition, hold the position for 2-3 seconds, followed by a similar break. If you are really fit start out on you hands or elbow and “make a star” and hold the upper position for 3-5 seconds – repeat as many times as you can (with focus on technique).
- Push-ups. Perform as many repetitions as you can, with or without your knees on the ground, or a combination. Repeat the exercise again after one-minute break. How many fewer did you manage in round 2?
That’s it – hard but fantastic work out – and lo and behold, you’re back home where a hot shower or bath awaits, and the rest of your evening is free for other activities – not to mention you’re on the path to improved fitness and younger fitness age! Give you self an hour or two and check the fantastic feeling that will last a couple of days!
Wednesday
Endurance program “Friends Challenge-Day”
Invite friends, choose an activity involving large muscle groups and dynamic movements (walking, jogging, swimming, cross-country skiing, squash, five-a-side soccer etc.) that you normally do not do, and be active more than 60 minutes at an intensity that keeps it possible to hold a conversation.
Friday
Endurance program “2×4 minutes health boost”
- 10-minute warm-up to get you sweating lightly.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 5 minutes of calm walking – to get ready for a few core-strength exercises.
Core strength training
Strength training today is identical to that described on Monday this week – 2 rounds.
Weekend assignment
Do your favourite activity involving large muscle groups and dynamic movements (walking, jogging, swimming, cross-country skiing, squash, five-a-side soccer etc.) and be active more than 60 minutes. Bring a friend or your family so it becomes easier to get off the couch.
WEEK-4
Monday
Endurance program CERG´s Health Booster #2
- 10-minute warm-up, slow jog or brisk walk to get you sweating, preferably on an incline or hill to get your heart rate up more quickly, and to limit the stress on your knees.
- 5-minutes of ”17:13-intervals”. This interval-variant is simple, but hard to do. In your chosen activity keep high intensity (not all-out, but close to) for 17 seconds, thereafter you have 13 seconds active rest (move around, do not stop) and repeat 10 times. After about 6 of the intervals your heart rate should be close to 85-90% of your maximum.
- 3 minutes active rest (move around to quicker get rid of the lactic acid).
- Repeat #2.
- 5-minutes cool down to get ready for a short strength training session.
Core strength training
Perform 2-3 series of the entire program. Take 2 minutes rest between the series and 30 seconds between the different exercises.
- Super-Woman. “Fly” like Super-Woman – lie on the ground and lift your torso as much as you can while lifting your legs up behind. Make alternating movements with arms sideways and use a freestyle swim kicking motion for the legs. “Fly” for 5 seconds before taking a break for 5 seconds – repeat 7 times.
Shoulder exercises (A-D), 10 repetitions on each.
A: Sidelift.
D: Seated Sholder Rotation.
What a feeling – and what a wonderful start of the week!
Wednesday
Endurance program “Friends Challenge-Day”
Tell a friend/friends to choose an activity involving large muscle groups and dynamic movements (walking, jogging, swimming, cross-country skiing, squash, five-a-side soccer etc.) and take you out for more than one hour. The intensity should not be so high that you cannot hold a conversation.
Friday
Endurance program “4×4 Health-Booster”
- 10-minute warm-up to get you sweating.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 3 minutes of relaxed walking.
- 1 x 4 minutes of walking or running so you’re very short of breath.
- 5-minute cool-down – well done.
Check the feeling after a warm/cold shower – amazing – the weekend is here – enjoy!
Weekend assignment
Your favourite activity – or a completely new one at low intensity for more than 60 minutes – enjoy life.
Congratulations, you have finished CERG’s 4 week Movember fitness program. We hope you have had a good experience and that you will continue to both exercise and be more active in your daily life. Good luck!
Thank you for a fantastic exercise program with aerobic and core strength training.
Step up strategy of HIIT would be reasonable and applicable for people who can not afford 4×4 min at the first day. Combination of 4 min and 1 min is also practical. Personally, as one of fifties, Movember program is a little fast. Today, I did 3×4 min (190 watt) +1×2 min (210 watt). For me 1 min HIIT is a little short to get HR target. At least 2 min is necessary. In Japanese cardiac rehabilitation society, HIIT has not been accepted yet mainly due to difficulty in self motivation and lack of long-term evidence of effects and safety. I am looking forward to hearing fromCERG!!
Shigenori Ito, M.D., Ph.D. from Nagoya, Japan
Dear Dr. Ito,
Thank you so much for your feedback. We know that the progress is a little fast, but that is because it is for a short campaign, Movember. For a program with a slower progression, check out our 7 + 7 week fitness program that you can find on our website here! It may also be fine to conduct the short intervals the way you do, with 2 min work.
Regarding the safety, little is done in the field. A study we performed a couple of years ago in patients at rehabilitation showed that both moderate- and high-intensity was associated with low risk of adverse events (Rognmo Circulation). More studies are however needed to conclude. We have a large randomised trial (Generation 100) going on here now and here we might be able to detect the risk of five years of moderate- vs. High-intensity training in an elderly population.
Andrea Hegdahl Tiltnes and Øivind Rognmo, CERG