The 15 Best Fitness Challenges To Try This Year

The best fitness challenges really depend on your goal, so we’ll introduce you to some of the most popular fitness challenges and discuss who they’re a good fit for.

Whether your goal is to lose weight, reignite your passion for fitness, improve your general health, or build mental strength, you’ll find a solution in this post.

#1: Wearable Challenge 

For many people, nutrition is the most difficult aspect of fitness.

If you know what you should be eating, but just need more accountability, Wearable Challenge is the solution.

It's highly effective, because unlike most nutrition challenges that rely on self reported accuracy, Wearable Challenge participants use a glucose monitor to track their blood sugar.

For 14 days, you stake $20 per day to keep blood glucose under 120mg/dL (a healthy yet low glucose threshold).

If you spike over 120 mg/dL, you’ll lose your $20 for that day. 

This helps you reduce high sugar and carb foods from your diet.

Wearable Challenge is wickedly effective, because unlike food logging, you can't cheat the CGM data, and $20 daily stakes make every day count.

And unlike most challenges where there are no consequences for quitting, the $20/day stakes makes Wearable Challenge MORE painful to quit than finish.

It's intense, but also fun. You'll compete in a cohort with other players can can communicate in a group chat. 

If you’ve tried other nutrition challenges or coaching programs and haven’t reached your goals, consider trying Wearable Challenge.

Challenges are free to join, so make the commitment and unlock the best version of yourself today. 

#2: 75 Hard

75 Hard isn’t just a fitness challenge. It’s a mental toughness program. 

Created by Andy Frisella, the 75 Hard challenge requires you to follow strict daily tasks for 75 consecutive days with zero exceptions. 

This includes two workouts a day (one must be outdoors), following a diet of your choice (no cheats, no alcohol), drinking a gallon of water, reading 10 pages of nonfiction, and taking a progress photo every day.

The challenge is extreme, but that’s the point. 

It’s designed to test your discipline and consistency, not just your physical ability. Many participants report dramatic improvements in both body composition and confidence. 

However, it’s not for beginners. Slipping even once means you start over from Day 1.

#3: Couch to 5K (C25K)

If you’ve always wanted to run but don’t know where to start, Couch to 5K is a great fitness challenge. It’s beginner friendly, simple, and helps you accomplish a goal you’ll feel proud of.

Using interval training, the program gradually builds your endurance over nine weeks. In the beginning, you alternate walking and short bursts of running. 

By the end, you’ll run a full 5K without stopping.

It’s perfect for people who don’t consider themselves “runners” but want a structured plan to build cardiovascular health. 

There’s an app you can use to follow along with each day’s workout, or you can use a print out to follow the challenge. 

#4: 100 Push Ups Per Day

The 100 Push Ups a Day Challenge is exactly what it sounds like: complete 100 push-ups every day for 30 days (or longer). 

100 push ups is a lot for beginners, so you can start by doing just a few push ups per day and scale up the number as you get fitter. For example, you could do 5 push ups per day for the first week and then increase by one push up per day. 

You can also do an easier variation of a push up, like a knee push up or incline push up, or you can spread the reps throughout the day if 100 in a row sounds intimidating.

The beauty of this challenge is that you don’t need equipment, so you can do it at home, at work, or even while traveling. 

You can also swap out push ups for any other exercise, like squats or burpees. 

#5: Whole30 Challenge

The Whole30 program is one of the most popular short-term elimination diets designed to reset your relationship with food and reduce cravings, digestive issues, and inflammation.

For 30 days, you’ll commit to eating only whole, minimally processed foods. 

That challenge focuses on protein (meat, seafood, eggs), vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats, while completely avoiding added sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods. 

You also steer clear of “healthified” recreations of junk food (like paleo pancakes or cookies), since the goal is to break those habits entirely.

Unlike many diets, Whole30 doesn’t require calorie counting or tracking macros. Instead, it’s about food quality and awareness. 

If you slip up and eat something off-limits, you restart from Day 1, because even a single “reset breaker” can affect the outcome.

After the 30 days, you enter the reintroduction phase, where you add foods back in one category at a time. This helps you discover which foods work for your body, and which ones leave you feeling bloated, tired, or craving more sugar.

#6: Step Challenge 

Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise and step challenges make it fun and competitive. 

A typical goal is 10,000 steps a day, but many challenges use personalized step goals based on your current activity level.

StepBet is one of the most popular apps for this. You commit money into a “pot” and must hit your personalized step target for a set number of weeks (usually 6). 

If you succeed, you split the pot with the other winners. Otherwise, you lose your bet.

Even if you don’t use an app, joining a community or creating a friendly competition with friends can help you stay accountable. It’s a great way to increase daily activity without needing a gym membership or complicated program.

#7: 30 Day Meditation Challenge

Mental wellness plays a huge role in overall health and a meditation challenge can help you improve your emotional health.

The 30 day meditation challenge focuses on daily mindfulness practice, often starting with just 5-10 minutes per day. Popular apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer make it easy with guided meditations and their own 30 day challenges. 

Over the course of 30 days, participants often notice reduced stress, better sleep, improved focus, and a greater sense of calm. While it might feel difficult at first (sitting still can be harder than it sounds!), daily consistency helps you build mindfulness into your routine.

Pairing this with physical fitness challenges can make results even more powerful, since stress reduction often leads to better eating habits, recovery, and motivation.

#8: 30 Day Plank Challenge

The 30-Day Plank Challenge is a core-strengthening program where you hold a plank position each day, gradually increasing the time. 

You might start at holding a plank for just 20-30 seconds, and by day 30 you could be holding planks for 3-5 minutes.

Planks are simple but incredibly effective. They strengthen your abs, back, shoulders, and stabilizing muscles which helps improve posture and reduce the risk of injury. 

This challenge also builds mental toughness, since staying still in a plank can be surprisingly difficult.

#9: Dry January and Sober October

Dry January and Sober October are month-long challenges where you commit to giving up alcohol completely.

Quitting alcohol temporarily can help you improve sleep, improve hydration, clear your skin, reduce calories, and a noticeable boost in energy. 

Many people also discover just how often they rely on alcohol socially or for stress relief, and this challenge is a great way to reset habits.

It’s not just about “quitting for a month.” The goal is to bring more awareness to your relationship with alcohol and build healthier long-term habits.

#10: Yoga With Adriene’s 30-Day Yoga Journey

Each January, millions of people join Yoga With Adriene’s 30-Day Yoga Journey, a free online program led by Adriene Mishler on YouTube. The challenge is designed to help you build strength, flexibility, mindfulness, and a consistent yoga habit over the course of a month.

The journey includes one new video every day for 30 days, with sessions ranging from 15 to 45 minutes (most fall in the 20–30 minute range, making them easy to fit into your routine). 

The practices start gentle and beginner-friendly but gradually progress into more challenging flows, breathing techniques, and longer holds, helping you build confidence as you go.

Each year, the program is centered around a unique theme designed to tie the month together and bring mindfulness to your practice. For example, some of the program themes are Home, Dedicate, Center, or Move. 

She also has a powerful community, so millions of others are participating in the same challenge as you. 

The only equipment you need is a yoga mat, and Adriene offers modifications in every class so it’s accessible whether you’re brand new to yoga or already experienced. 

#11: No Sugar Challenge

The No Sugar Challenge requires cutting out all added sugars for 30 days, including obvious sources like soda, desserts, and sweetened drinks, as well as hidden sugars in sauces, condiments, breads, and packaged foods. 

To succeed, you’ll have to learn how to read nutrition labels and avoid foods with ingredients like cane sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, honey, or agave and avoid them. 

Cooking at home makes it easier to control your sugar intake, but if you eat out, choose simple meals like grilled proteins with vegetables, ask for sauces or dressings on the side (or skip them), and use olive oil, vinegar, or lemon instead. 

For beverages, stick to water, unsweetened tea, or black coffee to avoid sugary drinks. By focusing on whole foods and being intentional when dining out, you’ll reduce cravings, stabilize energy, and reset your taste for naturally sweet foods like fruit.

#12: Run Every Day Challenge 

The Run Every Day Challenge is a consistency-focused running program where you run at least 1 mile every day for a set period, typically 30, 60, or 100 days. 

The key is daily consistency rather than speed or distance, so it’s a great fitness challenge for both beginners and more experienced runners. 

If you’re worried about getting bored, plan your runs with variety. Mix easy, short runs with longer or more intense sessions a few times per week, and allow yourself walking breaks if needed. 

Recovery is also important (especially if you’re just starting to run), so rotate surfaces (like treadmill, pavement, or trail) and wear supportive shoes to reduce injury risk. 

You can track progress through an app, journal, or running watch to hold yourself accountable and progressively increase intensity. 

Over time, this challenge improves cardiovascular health, builds mental discipline, strengthens leg and core muscles, and helps you establish running as a sustainable, lifelong habit.

#13: Pull-Up Progression Challenge

The Pull-Up Progression Challenge is a 30-day program designed to help you achieve your first pull-up or increase the number of pull-ups you can do. 

Pull-ups are one of the best upper-body exercises, targeting your back, shoulders, arms, and core. The challenge typically starts with assisted variations such as band-assisted pull-ups, negative pull-ups (jump up and lower slowly), or inverted rows, then gradually progresses to unassisted reps. 

A structured approach involves training 3-5 times per week, performing multiple sets with proper rest between them, and gradually increasing reps or reducing assistance. 

Incorporating complementary exercises like lat pulldowns, bicep curls, and core work can accelerate progress. 

Track your max reps weekly and celebrate small improvements. 

#14: Dance Workout Challenge

The Dance Workout Challenge is a fun, high-energy way to improve fitness and burn calories. 

For 20-30 minutes each day over 30 days, you follow dance-based workouts that combine cardio, strength, and coordination. 

FitLara Dance has a great 30 day playlist that you can follow along for guided sessions.

While dance may not seem like a lot of exercise, the daily movement improves cardiovascular endurance, strengthens the core and lower body, and boosts mood. Since dance workouts are low-barrier and don’t require equipment, they’re easy for beginners and experienced exercisers (and they’re fun!). 

#15: Morning Movement Challenge

The Morning Movement Challenge encourages starting each day with 10115 minutes of stretching, yoga, or mobility exercises. 

This short daily routine helps you wake up your body, increase circulation, improve flexibility, and reduce stiffness from sleep. 

It can include gentle stretches, sun salutations, dynamic mobility drills, or light bodyweight movements. 

Yoga with Kassandra has a popular morning movement challenge that’s easy to follow along with and each video is only about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Try a Fitness Challenge Today

Whether you’re struggling with consistency or just need some additional motivation to make health and fitness fun again, these fitness challenges are a great solution.

We recommend pairing a workout, nutrition, and mindfulness/meditation challenge for the best results as overall health is a combination of physical and emotional wellness. 

If your goal is overall health and you’re motivated to make some serious improvements, consider doing Wearable Challenge. Improving your nutrition has a huge impact on overall health and significantly helps with weight loss. 

At just 14 days, it’s a relatively short challenge, but it helps you cultivate better nutrition habits that make you healthier and happier.