Feeling a little bit sluggish since COVID-19 hit? Maybe your gym is closed, or you don’t feel motivated to do a virtual fitness class. Either way, here are free or low-cost fitness challenges you can do at home all month long.
Walking
No matter your age, your fitness level, or your weight, walking is a safe activity to do. In fact, walking may be THE ONLY movement you can consistently get this fall.
Plus, it’s an activity you can do solo OR with friends.
(Not sure what your personal Workout Style is? Take the free quiz!)
My local city is hosting a Walktober challenge that my husband and I both joined. We committed to walk 50K or 31 miles throughout October. I feel good about this one, because my previous exercise memberships end this month, and I very much need exercise for stress reduction. Plus, I have the added bonus of slowly getting back to running after a back injury this summer.
Check your local community center or parks and recreation department to see if there is an option near you. Many offer free or low-cost fitness challenges that include SWAG such as a medal, T-shirt, or even weekly prizes.
When it comes to tracking your mileage, many programs will offer a printable log sheet, or you can sign up for a free Strava or MapmyRun account to track miles. The benefit of using an app is you don’t have to figure out your route ahead of time- you can simply get moving. Plus, you have the option to follow friends and virtually cheer each other on.
Nothing available near you? Race at Your Pace offers every category from 5-300 miles for the month, plus biking options and kids’ challenges. Get your whole family signed up, and challenge each other to go out on the trail rain or shine.
Yoga
I am not a yogi, but as I get older, I cannot deny the benefits of incorporating more yogic movements into my daily practices. The American Council on Exercise recommends that you incorporate at least 1 day of stretching or flexibility throughout the week to improve overall fitness.
Especially if you run, or do High Intensity Interval Training, yoga is the flexibility and stretching break you need in between your sweat sessions.
Yoga is incredibly cost-effective, because it requires zero to minimal equipment, and can be done in small spaces. It is slow-paced, and can even be done from a chair.
There are a variety of free YouTube channels you can follow to get started on your yoga fitness challenge, including the ever popular Yoga with Adriene or Cosmic Kids. Get started with 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene here or check out this Halloween-inspired video from Cosmic Kids.
However, if you want to explore different yoga methods from the comfort of your home at a modest membership of $10/month, check out Do Yoga with Me. In addition to access to premium classes, challenges and programs, it also offers meditations. Meditation might help relieve some stress, too.
Strength Challenges
If you are on Pinterest (follow me here), you know there are millions of 30 day strength challenges that focus on specific muscle groups.
In general, when you are strength training, it is a good rule of thumb to stagger your muscle groups every 48 hours. For example, Monday could be an Arms and Abs day, and Tuesday could be a Legs and Butt day. Then, Wednesday can cycle back to Arms and Abs.
It is a good idea to incorporate at least 1 full rest day when strength training, especially if you are new to it or use equipment. Your muscles will be sore, and need that time to recuperate properly. If you don’t rest, you might find yourself fatigued and unmotivated.
To keep it simple, you can also focus on one specific exercise that you gradually increase repetitions or time over the course of the month. This is a good idea if you want to see measurable changes in your strength and possibly a loss of inches.
Some options would be a 30-day push-up challenge such as this one from Refinery29, a #Planksgiving challenge calendar from Shrinking Jeans, or a 28-day Lunge-a-Palooza from GetHealthyU.
Don’t feel pressure to buy a bunch of fitness equipment to use at home! Sales of home fitness equipment soared during COVID-19, and many items are still on backorder.
Instead, look to the tools you already have available in your home.
Have a flight of stairs? Try this stair-based full circuit workout from Self.
Have a chair (or working from home during a boring Zoom meeting)? Try this MyFitnessPal 20 minute chair workout.
How about a wall? Try this Self wall workout for your whole body! Or create your own 30-day wall sit challenge, and see how many minutes you can hold that sit by the end of the month.
Special note: you might notice that few of these fitness challenge options include apps or devices. The more you can create a fitness habit that is NOT tied to a device, the more likely you won’t be distracted to endlessly scroll something else.
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