Need to ramp up the intensity with some added accountability to make a real change? A fitness challenge over 8 weeks or 28 days could be the place to start.
3-Fold Effect
Fitness challenges have a three-fold effect, they allow you to take your workouts up a notch as well as giving you the chance to try a new gym and classes, they provide much-needed motivation. And most importantly they focus you over a shorter timespan to hit your goals and make change.
Clear Goal
Rather than aiming to simply ‘get fit’, to get the most from your challenge have a clear goal in mind be it losing weight or improving your cardiovascular strength. Signing up for a fitness challenge will help make you accountable over a measurable time frame with motivation to build the new habits that are vital to crushing your goals, habits are the fundamental to change.
Group Fitness Classes
Challenges are individual pursuits while training as part of a wider group, the good news is because of your personal your goal and effort they are suitable for all fitness levels. If you’re a beginner, start with 3 – 4 workouts a week and manageable weights, before increasing their weight and classes intensity as you feel fitter. If you’ve already got a solid workout routine, push yourself to increase your weights, or cardio throughout. Every week focus on a mini goal. For example, trying a different class, reducing the cheat meals, trying a morning class instead of evening. Or increasing your rep count in each class. This can help you push yourself to get a better result.
No Excuses
There are a lot of excuses why people can’t start or maintain a fitness routine. Common ones are I don’t want to commit to a gym. I don’t have enough time. I wouldn’t know where to start. Those are all concerns and why fitness challenges are an ideal way to start with the aim of boosting results and added advantage is you get to see and try a new gym, and the most popular classes and equipment knowing it’s for a shorter period.
Nutrition
If you genuinely focus during a challenge they can be very beneficial as they give you the opportunity to set and achieve physical or nutritional goals. A challenge can help to get the ball rolling, but it may not be enough to make lasting change with some suggesting it takes an average of 66 days for a new behaviour to become ingrained.
At The Body Factory, our Sutherland Shire fitness challenges run in spring, summer and winter each year with prizes up for grabs and a lot of other cool stuff. There are 55 group fitness classes are on every week with a range of different class types including HIIT, strength and boxing that are led by a variety of instructors.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are entirely an opinion by The Body Factory or representative thereof and do not take into account your individual health, circumstances or needs. For personal guidance, you should contact us or other qualified fitness or health professional.
