The absolute best 30-day fitness challenges to kick off this week

As countries and cities are remaining indoors under a self-quarantine to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, studios and gyms throughout much of the United States have remained closed. Though it’s a necessary measure to take for the health of their communities, it can be difficult to muster up the motivation to work up a sweat at home. However, whether you are socially-distancing alone or with your partner, roommates, or family members, maintaining a routine and tackling something new (like 30-day fitness challenges, for example) can help you keep a sense of normalcy.

Beyond that, it’s a great way to support studios and online apps during a time when you can’t physically be in their classes. These 30-day challenges, from all over the country and web, will help you progressively build up strength and stamina over the course of a month. Because in all honesty, there’s never been a better time to celebrate what your body can do, while proving to yourself that you really can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Bulldog Yoga

There’s nothing like the calm you feel after an invigorating yoga class. You can bring the same good vibes to your living room by signing up for a personalized 30-day yoga challenge from Bulldog Yoga. As a bonus, they are currently offering a free 30-day trial, so you don’t have to make a financial commitment right away. Once you complete the sign-up process, you’ll be given a customized plan, including built-in days off to stretch and relax. As head trainer Tessa Jenkins shares, having a calendar helps with accountability, and can provide a visual where you check off days. “Mentally a challenge can offer a beginning, middle, and end—just like any good yoga class,” she says.

Tone It Up App

If you’re currently struggling to process the state of the world right now, yoga and meditation can be powerful tools to not only build physical strength but mental grit, too. Right now, the Tone It Up app is offering a free 30-day trial for new members, giving you ample time to try their four-week program called “Toned Body, Toned Mind.” As the co-founder of the app Karena Dawn explains, the regimen combines yoga, meditation, self-care, and time in nature to make you feel strong and balanced. Every day, you can expect two activities: a workout and a meditation. “Each week also has a different theme to focus on and will also build intensity in both your workouts and meditations as your body and mind become even stronger,” Dawn shares. “When you combine fitness and mindfulness and self-care, it’s truly transformative.”

Livestrong on-the-hour challenge

One of Well+Good’s 2020 wellness trends was that our workouts will begin to look like a lot more like they do in Blue Zones (or areas of the world where the population continually lives to be 100-plus). That means a 10-minute sweat sesh here, a five-minute stretch there. Livestrong’s monthly challenge series is putting this thought process to the test with an “on the hour” model that asks you to do eight mini workouts throughout the course of your work day. In this challenge, you’ll find yourself doing push-ups, lunges, squats, and planks for 30 to 60 seconds every hour on the hour. Throughout the month, you’ll start to see how the little bits of activity add up over time, and as a big bonus, you’ll break up the day.

Performix House

Repeat after us: Even if you are working remotely, you’re still entitled to a lunch break. In fact, it’s likely good for your mental health. Consider spending the first half of your away-from-computer time participating in this 30-day workout challenge from fitness and wellness expert Devon Levesque. Every day, he will take participants through a 30 to 45-minute workout, along with a 10 to 15 minute session on mental health. Though it does cost $20 to participate, he wants to spread a united mentality by giving away a grand prize of $1,000, along with other surprises, too. Since sessions are held on Instagram Live, you’ll feel that community-bonding you love, even if it’s virtually. “During the challenge, we will use a holistic approach to encourage our community to adapt a positive leadership mindset on life, even while isolated at home,” he adds.

HYLETE

This community backed, built, and driven performance apparel company is offering a 30-day circuit challenge to raise spirits and keep at-home athletes focused on their health. Though you don’t need any equipment, you do need a buddy. Either one that’s by your side in your self-quarantine or a digital one. Once you register your team, you enter yourself to win a grand prize of HYLETE gear for a year. Via their app, you are tasked with completing five 2020 Circuit Challenge workouts by April 30. “Starting to form these positive habits, will make maintaining a fitness routine beyond the challenge, that much more sustainable,” says Ron Wilson, the CEO. “By maintaining your fitness routine and committing to at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, you create endorphins for mood enhancement. This is so important for supporting your mood and overall well-being.”

#100Reps For 30 Days

You’ve likely seen the push-up challenge making its way throughout Instagram. If you’re part of the crew who enjoys these types of physical endurances, then you’ll be game for RSP Nutrition’s 30-day initiatives. It’s quite simple: for a month, do 100 reps of the exercise of the day, take a video or photo, tag @RSPNutrition and make sure your accountability buddy does the same.  “Mostly composed of basic simple exercises, one can do any of these exercises in a modified fashion that allows people of different fitness capacities to do them,” says trainer CJ Hammond, NASM. “This is an amazing gateway for people to get started working out again.”

Andrew Hughes

This adventurer gets around. And in an impressive way: He is the fastest and first American man to ever complete the Antarctic Trifecta. While he normally shares his experience doing seemingly-impossible feats around the world, he’s now staying put to stop the spread of COVID. That doesn’t mean he’s standing still though, and now he’s asking others to join him by making a 30-day commitment to move.

His challenge is simple: Every day for a month, find a way to do 100 steps. This could be up and down stairs, climbing up and down a box, or whatever else you can find. A big part of his challenge is about sharing the experience on social media, using the hashtag #StepUpTogether. “We all seemingly are isolated and alone, but together we are working ever towards a goal in support of one another through the steps we take.”

If you’re looking for other ways to stay fit, these 10-minute workouts will work up a sweat and this cardio yoga session will give you a heart-pumping reason to roll out your mat.