7 Fun Fitness Challenges to Try with Friends
Looking for ways to have fun fitness challenges to try with friends? Try these exciting fitness challenges! You can organize a friendly competition in a game of basketball or soccer. Consider a group workout session with fun dance moves or yoga. Set up a mini obstacle course in your backyard or park. Don’t forget to track your steps with a challenge! Celebrate your achievements together and motivate each other to keep going. These activities will help you stay fit while enjoying great company.
7 Fun Fitness Challenges to Try with Friends
Getting fit and staying healthy can be much more enjoyable when you do it with friends. Trying out fitness challenges together helps you stay motivated and adds a bit of friendly competition to your workout routine. In this blog post, we’ll share seven exciting fun fitness challenges to try with friends. These challenges work for different fitness levels and can be changed to fit your needs.
30-Day Squat Challenge
Squats are great for building lower body strength. This challenge is simple but effective.
How it works:
- Start with 20 squats on day 1
- Add 5 squats each day
- By day 30, you’ll be doing 165 squats!
Tips for success:
- Use proper form to avoid getting hurt
- Take rest days if you need them
- Celebrate your progress with your friends
Why it’s great:
- Squats work multiple muscles in your legs and core
- You can do them anywhere, no equipment is needed
- The gradual increase helps build strength over time
How to make it more fun:
- Create a group chat to share daily updates
- Make a chart to track everyone’s progress
- Have a small prize for the person who completes the most days
Remember, it’s not about being perfect. If you skip a day, simply resume from where you stopped. The goal is to improve over time and have fun with your friends.
Step Count Challenge
This challenge gets you moving more throughout the day. It’s perfect for friends who want to be more active but might not have time for long workouts.
How it works:
- Use a fitness tracker or smartphone app to count your steps
- Set a daily goal (10,000 steps is popular, but choose what works for you)
- Compare your step counts with friends at the end of each day or week
- The person with the highest step count wins
Tips for success:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Take a stroll during your lunch break.
- Park your car farther away from entrances
- Have walking meetings instead of sitting down
Why it’s great:
- Gets you moving more throughout the day
- Can be easily fit into your daily routine
- Helps improve overall health and fitness
How to make it more fun:
- Create theme days (like “Monday Meandering” or “Weekend Warrior”)
- Share pictures from your walks or interesting things you see
- Have a group celebration when everyone reaches a big milestone (like 100,000 steps)
Remember, the goal is to move more, not to exhaust yourself. Tune in to your body and take a break when necessary.
Plank Challenge
Planks are excellent for building core strength. This challenge tests your endurance and can lead to some friendly competition.
How it works:
- Set a timer for 2 minutes
- Hold a plank position for as long as you can
- The person who holds the plank the longest wins
Tips for success:
- Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels.
- Breathe steadily and deeply
- Focus on a spot on the floor to help you stay still
Why it’s great:
- Builds core strength
- Improves posture
- Can be done anywhere, no equipment is needed
How to make it more fun:
- Do the challenge once a week and try to beat your own time
- Create a leaderboard to track everyone’s best times
- Add variations like side planks or plank jacks for a variety
Remember, good form is more important than a long time. It’s better to hold a correct plank for 30 seconds than a sloppy one for 2 minutes.
Healthy Eating Challenge
Fitness isn’t just about exercise – eating well is important too. This challenge helps you and your friends make healthier food choices.
How it works:
- Set a goal to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day
- Share healthy recipes
- Post photos of your healthy meals to keep each other motivated
- The person who meets the goal most consistently in a month wins
Tips for success:
- Plan your meals ahead of time
- Keep healthy snacks handy
- Experiment with different fruits and vegetables to add variety.
- Remember that frozen and canned fruits and veggies count too
Why it’s great:
- Helps improve overall nutrition
- This can lead to trying new, healthy foods
- Builds healthy habits over time
How to make it more fun:
- Have a healthy potluck dinner where everyone brings a dish
- Create a group cookbook with everyone’s favorite healthy recipes
- Do a fruit and veggie taste test with unusual options
Remember, this challenge is about adding healthy foods, not about restricting yourself. It’s okay if you don’t meet the goal every day – just keep trying!
Workout Video Challenge
This challenge is great for trying new workouts and staying accountable.
How it works:
- Choose a workout video series (like a 30-day yoga challenge or a fitness program)
- Set up a daily or weekly time to do the videos together (in person or online)
- Share your thoughts and progress after each session
- The person who completes the most videos in the series wins
Tips for success:
- Pick a series that matches your fitness level
- Set up your workout space before you start
- Have water and a towel ready
Why it’s great:
- Introduces you to new types of exercise
- Provides structure to your workouts
- Builds consistency in your fitness routine
How to make it more fun:
- Take turns choosing the workout series
- Have a group chat to share your favorite (or least favorite) moves
- Create silly awards for things like “Most Enthusiastic Participant” or “Best Post-Workout Hair”
Remember, it’s okay to modify the exercises if you need to. The important thing is that you’re moving and trying your best.
Hydration Challenge
Staying hydrated is crucial for health and fitness. This challenge helps you and your friends drink more water.
How it works:
- Set a daily water intake goal (8 glasses of water is common, but check with your doctor for what’s right for you)
- Utilize a water-tracking application or maintain a record.
- Compare your water intake at the end of each week
- The person who meets their goal most consistently wins
Tips for success:
- Choose a water bottle that you enjoy and carry it with you.
- Program your phone to remind you to drink water.
- Eat water-rich foods like cucumbers and watermelon
- Drink a glass of water with each meal
Why it’s great:
- Helps improve overall health
- Can boost energy levels
- May help with weight management
How to make it more fun:
- Decorate your water bottles together
- Try flavoring your water with fruits or herbs
- Create a group ritual, like all drinking a glass of water at the same time each day
Remember, other drinks count towards your fluid intake, but water is the healthiest choice. If you’re not accustomed to consuming a lot of water, slowly raise your intake.
Try Something New Challenge
Trying new activities can keep fitness fun and help you discover new ways to stay active.
How it works:
- Each week, choose a new fitness activity to try (like rock climbing, kickboxing, or swimming)
- Everyone in the group tries the activity at least once that week
- Share your experiences
- At the end of the month, vote on the most interesting new activity
Tips for success:
- Research the activity before you try it
- Don’t be afraid to look silly – everyone’s new at first!
- Focus on having fun, not on being good at it right away.
Why it’s great:
- Keeps your fitness routine fresh and exciting
- Helps you find new activities you might love
- Builds different skills and works different muscles
How to make it more fun:
- Take pictures or videos of everyone trying the new activities
- Create a rating system and review each activity as a group
- Celebrate the end where you all do your favorite new activity together
Remember, the goal is to try new things, not to become an expert. It’s okay if you don’t love every activity – that’s part of the learning process!
Tips for Success in All Challenges
- Start small: Don’t try to change everything at once. Pick one or two challenges to start with.
- Be consistent: Try to stick to your challenges as much as possible, but don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a day.
- Support each other: Cheer each other on and offer help when someone is struggling.
- Make it fun: The more you enjoy your challenges, the more likely you are to keep doing them.
- Track your progress: Seeing how far you’ve come can be motivating.
- Adjust as needed: If a challenge is too hard or too easy, it’s okay to change it.
- Celebrate achievements: Take time to recognize and celebrate what you’ve accomplished, both big and small.
- Stay safe: Always put safety first. Use proper form, stay hydrated, and don’t push yourself too hard.
- Mix it up: Try different challenges to work different parts of your body and keep things interesting.
- Remember why you started: Keep in mind why you began this fitness journey. It can help you stay motivated.
Conclusion
Trying fitness challenges with friends can make getting healthy more fun and less of a chore. Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or you’re looking to shake up your routine, these seven challenges offer something for everyone. Remember, the goal isn’t to be perfect but to make progress and enjoy the process. So gather your friends, pick a challenge, and get moving.
Fitness is a journey, not a destination. By doing these challenges with friends, you’re not just working towards better health – you’re also building stronger relationships and creating fun memories. So don’t worry too much about winning or losing. The real win is in showing up, trying your best, and supporting each other along the way.
Now it’s your turn! Which challenge are you excited to try first? Get your friends together, choose a challenge, and start your fun fitness journey today.
FAQs
Q: What are some fun fitness challenges to do with friends?
A: You can try relay races, obstacle courses, group workouts, virtual fitness games, or even a friendly competition like step challenges to keep everyone motivated and engaged.
Q: How can we stay motivated during fitness challenges?
A: Setting goals, having regular check-ins, offering rewards for achievements, and celebrating progress together can help keep everyone motivated and excited throughout the challenge.
Q: Are these challenges suitable for all fitness levels?
A: Yes! Many fitness challenges can be modified to fit different skill levels, ensuring everyone can participate and enjoy the experience while improving their fitness.
Q: How often should we do these fitness challenges?
A: You can plan fitness challenges monthly or quarterly to keep things fresh. This allows everyone to set goals, track progress, and celebrate achievements together.
Q: What are the benefits of doing fitness challenges with friends?
A: Working out with friends makes fitness more enjoyable, encourages accountability, builds camaraderie, and can lead to better results as everyone motivates each other to push harder and stay consistent.
Also Read:
Modern Dance as a Fun Way to Stay Fit
How Art and Craft Can Reduce Stress and Boost Creativity
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2631002/
