Six at-home fitness challenges to help you reach your goals

If you wish to tighten up your glutes, an extended squat challenge is one of the most outstanding approaches to build muscle and reduce fat. It’s an incredible way to burn calories, too.

Take out at least 10 to 15 minutes of your time every day and check the number of squats you can do. Any number seems good for starters. You can gradually increase the reps. One of the advantages of squats is that you can do them anytime, anywhere, regardless of whether you’re waiting for milk to boil or during TV breaks. The challenge works almost every muscle in your lower body, right from quads, hamstrings to glutes. A quick tip: Ensure you have rest days in between, so that your legs can recuperate.

Plank challenge

All you have to do is get into a pushup position: keep your back straight, and core tight as much as you can. Ensure that your body is in a straight line.

Try not to let your back or butt sag. You can hold the plank position for a predetermined time. Even a few seconds in the initial days are a very good start. While practicing, if your structure begins to drop at any point, make your knees touch the ground and let yourself loose until you’re ready to get back to the position again. Each day of the challenge gradually increases your capacity of holding a plank. The aim should be to hold one for at least four to five minutes at stretch. It strengthens the core and builds up endurance.

Burpee challenge

Burpee is one of the best bodyweight exercises that work on numerous muscles at the same time — right from your arms, back, chest, core, to glutes and legs. Hence, this can be your best pick if you can do only one bodyweight exercise for the rest of your life.

From a standing position, bend into a squat with your hands on the floor. Kick your feet back without moving your hands. You should find yourself in a plank position. Now, jump your feet forward so they end up close to your hands again. Bounce into air and raise your arms straight over your head. This whole process is just one set. Do as much as you can for starters, and gradually increase the number every day.

Take out time to practice these exercises. (Source: Pixabay)

Mountain climber challenge

Position yourself on the ground as if you are in a sprinter’s block. Bring your knees in towards your chest, then move them back to where they were. Repeat for at least 20 seconds initially. Right from hands elevated mountain climbers to feet elevated ones, you can add variations to the exercise, as per your capacity. Mountain climber is perfect to tone up your abdomen area, as it’s a mix of cardio and muscle training.

Deadlift challenge

Deadlifting is never about achieving a greater number of reps, rather it’s about increasing the amount of weight you can lift. Increase the weight by not more than 10 per cent at once. “This will help ensure your body easily adapts to change as well as remains challenged. Make sure to increase the weight only when you are prepared for it. Take it slow or else you’ll be more vulnerable to injury,” said Rhea.

Yoga challenge

Yoga is something that requires heaps of patience. One of the best ways to master it is to maintain consistency. Challenge yourself to practice it daily. A varied combination of asanas can strengthen your body in a holistic way, which will, in turn, help you feel lighter, stronger, and at ease.

You may think yoga is about achieving mental peace rather than gaining physical fitness, but the two connected. Yoga pushes the body as well as the mind into a relaxed, restful state. The practice can be intimidating for a few, but there are some delicate moves that you can follow to get into the progression of yoga.

“With the right frame of mind, pandemic-induced restrictions can bring your fitness game on point. No matter cardio, strength training, weightlifting, or yoga, every form of exercise is a feat,” said Rhea. Be sure to listen to your body and avoid exerting yourself.

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