Feeling Demotivated? Compete in These Online Fitness Challenges

Fitness challenges at home

Lockdown life is hard, for the best of us. Now that we’ve been in isolation for a matter of weeks, your fitness routine may be taking a hit. Let’s face it, it’s tricky to stay on track when you’re housebound for the majority of the day. Fortunately, we may have just the thing to help you along the way. Why not compete in some online fitness challenges? Here’s a handful of options that will get your pulse racing!

THE 2.6 CHALLENGE

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Needless to say, UK charities need our support more than ever right now. If you want to support them while simultaneously staying fit and active, you might be interested in the 2.6 Challenge online. Launched on 26th April, this is an open-ended series of challenges that all surround the central theme of 2.6. For example, you might choose to run in your garden for 26 minutes, plank for 2.6 minutes or perhaps even do 26 jumping jacks.

When you’ve decided what challenge you want to try, it’s time to pick a charity to support. Naturally, there are many organisations that would appreciate your donation. Which you choose is a highly personal decision. You can use the website to search eligible charities in minutes, which is super helpful too. Which challenge will you take?

the 2020 plank challenge

THE 2020 PLANK CHALLENGE

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Next up, let’s talk about the classic task: the plank challenge. This one is exactly what it says on the tin. You have to get into a plank position and hold it for as long as possible. Of course, you get to decide the limitations of this particular challenge. You might want to plank every day for 30-seconds or try taking things up a notch on a daily basis.


Why not document your journey on social media? Sharing your daily plank challenge with your friends and family online is a smart way to keep on track. Plus, research from the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication suggests that sharing exercise goals and progress on social media helps to motivate people to work harder.

CHARITY MILES CHALLENGES

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Another way you can support needy causes while staying healthy is to use the Charity Miles app. When you have downloaded it and set up a profile, the app uses your phone’s GPS to track how much you move. Whether it’s running around your home and garden or taking your jog nearby, there are plenty of ways you can start racking up miles.

As you get active, you start earning money for charity. The company has corporate partners, all of which pledge cold hard cash based on how much people move around. What’s more, if you want to take things one step further, you can also get your friends and family members to sponsor you too. Simply set up a pledge page and share it with them.

THE 30-DAY SQUAT CHALLENGE

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Work those glutes! If you’re ready to take on a tough feat, might we suggest the 30-day squat challenge? Once again, you can tailor this task to suit your current skill-set and fitness goals. Why not start out by squatting a hundred times each morning before breakfast? Alternatively, you may want to increase the number of reps each day.

The excellent thing about the squat challenge is that it tones and strengthens your lower body while also burning energy. You might say that it’s a win-win situation. To make things even more interesting, you could enlist the help of your friends. Challenging each other will help you keep going and might unleash your competitive spirit. Try it for yourself!

six-week handstand challenge

SIX-WEEK HANDSTAND CHALLENGE

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Can you do a handstand? The chances are—unless you’re a gymnast—you haven’t thought about this since you were in school. However, now that we’re spending more time at home, it could be a prime opportunity to learn this undervalued talent. As the name of this challenge suggests, your goal should be to master this art in no more than six weeks.


Itching to get started? The 12-Minute Athlete has all the information you could need to begin your journey. When you join up, you will be practicing this move 3-6 times a week for roughly 5-15 minutes. The more effort and time you dedicate to the challenge, the more likely you are to succeed. There’s also a Facebook group you can join to get more info!

THE TAKEAWAY!


Are you ready to take on a whole new challenge? Now that you’ve got these for inspiration, it’s time to get started. Pick one (or perhaps even a couple!) of these challenges and dedicate time to it each day—giving yourself the odd rest day, of course! Dedicating yourself to a challenge means that you have a great reason to stay active.