Challenge: A little less Candy Crush, a little more cardio.

By NICKY CHAMP

It’s spring and I need to detox.

I’m not talking a green juice cleanse or subbing in chia seeds for chocolate. I’m not talking about spring cleaning my apartment or seasonal wardrobe clean-out (who does that anyway?).

Just as an FYI, you should know that this post is sponsored by Blackmores. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

I’m talking about taking a break from the game that has more pulling power than crack cocaine and more gravitas than a shirtless Ryan Gosling.

Candy Crush.

Go ahead and have a chuckle but I know I’m not alone in this.

You only have to take a look at the Twitter hashtag #candycrushproblems to see there’s a whole cult of gamers out there who have drunk the Candy Crush Kool-Aid and wish to get their lives back if only they could just get past level 29 / 65 / 97 / 254.

Candy Crash now has 132.9 million monthly Facebook-connected users so chances are you’ve played it, know someone who is addicted to it or (be honest) you’re just killing time reading this while waiting for a new set of lives.

The game has become so bad, a UK facility opened a rehabilitation program for Candy Crush addicts. They receive as many as 100 enquiries a month and it costs $5,000. Don’t they know we’ve spent all our money on boosts and extra lives?

If you’re in the minority here (do not download it, I repeat DO NOT download it) it’s like selling your soul to the devil. BUT MUCH, MUCH WORSE.

I realised I had to break my addiction when I had sat on the couch not moving for three hours straight while trying to get passed the punishment that is level 65.

In a rare non-candy filled moment of clarity I realised I had been ignoring my husband, ignoring friends, text messages, and the final straw – I didn’t even care there was a new episode of Breaking Bad to download.

Candy Crush was taking over my life like the chocolate blocks were taking over my screen. I was living for double freckle bombs and that my friends, is no way to live.

(Neither is waking up and thinking it’s 10:54am in the FUTURE because you’ve been messing with the clock on your iPhone to get more lives.)

So I deleted it. Yep, just like that. I got past level 65 and realised I could keep on endlessly clearing jelly blocks and exercising my index finger or I could move off the couch and do some actual exercise.

Groundbreaking, I know.

This time last year I had signed up to do the 9km Bridge Run and had to build up my fitness so I could run for several minutes in a row without hyperventilating.

So to get back there, I’ve re-downloaded the Couch to 5K app, I’ve dusted off the skipping rope and invested in a crazy workout DVD called Brazilian Butt Lift after watching too many late night infomercials.

And so far it’s going great.

Well, it could be a little bit better… I’d like to be able to sit down again without having to inch myself into a chair.

Despite our best intentions, particularly in the colder months, staying active and healthy isn’t easy. We aim to give up chocolate, abandon alcohol and promise to visit the gym four times a week, only to fail. A Little Less, A Little More reminding people that making small commitments is a much more achievable and sustainable way of living a balanced lifestyle. What will you do? Make a commitment here, challenge your friends, upload your pics and follow us at #littlelesslittlemore on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

 

Last week Melissa committed to ‘A little less, lazy morning sleep-ins, a little more yoga sessions’. This week Nicky is committing to ‘A little less Candy Crush, a little more cardio’.

What will your ‘little less, little more’  commitment be this week?