Live healthier with the Visana challenge

After recovering from his injuries, Dänu is in great form and is excited about the Visana challenge. He discovered a fresh source of motivation for his everyday life in the 10 challenges of Mujinga, Ditaji Kambundji, and Christian Stucki.

Dänu, the main character of our blog this year, gets seized by the Visana challenge fever.

This year, Dänu adopts a more conscientious and active lifestyle, engages in more physical activity, consumes healthier meals, and pays more attention to nutrition. He unfortunately experienced a setback in the summer due to a mountain bike accident. But right now, just in time for Visana's fall athletic season, he is prepared for fresh difficulties.

It wasn't simple to remain still for weeks in this pleasant weather, admits Dänu. «However, I became enthused as soon as I saw the challenge programme. It's a truly fantastic project!

Go ahead and take on the challenges!

Thus, Daniel Knuchel enters the tests that Mujinga Kambundji, his sister Ditaji Kambundji, and Christian ("Chrigu") Stucki have planned with energy and determination. He receives a workout from his personal coach every day through email or direct install to his smartphone. 

The most significant finding for Dänu was that, although being extremely cautious because his shoulder had not yet fully healed, he nonetheless completed 28 of the 30 exercises. Every person has a cap or a condition that makes them different from others, but if you truly want to, you may modify a workout and hunt for alternatives. Everyone can discover what is perfect for them in the challenge, I'm confident, he adds.

Dänu is happy to have already introduced many of the challenges of the two sprinters and the king of the Swiss wrestling into his life this year. Since this spring he has also started jogging again. Recently, for the first time since his injury, he ran ten kilometers from Zollikofen along the Aare to his workplace in Bern. “If you are sufficiently motivated, everything is doable,” explains Dänu. And he adds: "I myself have been a champion in seeking excuses for years."

Fit thanks to a healthy diet

Now Dänu is a champion of inspiration. Send photos and videos in which he performs the exercises of the challenge with great enthusiasm.

Recently, step by step he continued to modify his diet. Now he only eats meat three or four days a week because he has discovered vegetarian specialties, which he prepares with passion even on his own. Recently, the chef of the Visana company canteen even revealed to him the recipe for an ethnic dish, the dhal.

Nobody is perfect, nobody has to be. «Many small choices are enough to live in a healthier way», explains Dänu, «but the great art consists in maintaining this lifestyle even in everyday stress».

Dänu's nutritional advice:

In the morning, prepare a homemade muesli

Eat slowly for lunch

Avoid heavy meals in the evening

Drink a lot of water

Avoid sweet drinks

Dänus Motivational Advice

The end of the year is steadily approaching, and autumn has come. Despite the harsh weather, it is critical to keep up your training right now with a lot of drive.

Dänu remarked that his headaches had lessened in frequency during the last three months. "I move more and generally take better care of myself, so that's probably a factor."

It's no longer enjoyable to accomplish anything when you push yourself to, he claims. He doesn't meditate, for instance; instead, he occasionally uses Edmund Jacobson's progressive muscular relaxation. Through the alternating of muscular contraction and relaxation, certain muscle groups are consciously sensed throughout this sort of training. Additionally, Dänu enjoys including a little 10-minute sleep in his daily schedule.

A trendy word these days is awareness. Additionally, living intentionally is unquestionably advised in general. Dänu interprets this as focusing on fewer tasks during the day yet still completing them all with the most happiness and satisfaction. Additionally, she uses breathing techniques while resting close to her nine-year-old daughter in the evenings.

Or always avoid the elevator and use the stairs - "this also saves electricity, which is important at the moment," suggests Dänu with a wink.

Alternatively, Dänu advocates always using the stairs rather than the elevator since "this also saves power, which is vital at the moment."