8 Ways to Physically Challenge Yourself
Staying in your comfort zone is very easy. It’s where you feel at ease and what you know. But comfort zones are not where you grow. They are not what show you your true potential. It is the constant ways in which you challenge yourself to go to the next level, to do the unknown, the emotional, mental and physical boundaries that you go beyond and discover your strength.
Here are 8 Ways in Which you can physically Challenge Yourself
1. Plank Hold
Through this plank hold challenge, you expose your core strength and weakness. The Guinness World Record for this abdominal challenge is held by George Hood for holding the position for a little just over 3 hours. All you need to do is get on your knees and place your elbows firmly on the ground and turn your body into a table. And try holding this position for two-minutes.
2. Beep Test
In this challenge, two cones are placed at a distance of 20m from each other and what you need to do is run back and forth at a starting speed of 8.5km/hour. As soon as the beep goes, start running at the speed mentioned and increase the pace by 0.5kms/hour.
3. The Obama Push-up Test
This challenge tests chest strength in both men and women, and for this challenge, the bar has been set by Michelle Obama, who has performed 25 push-ups on toes on the Ellen DeGeneres show. This challenge tests your quads, core, chest, triceps.
4. Pull-up Challenge
In this challenge, you need to use your bodyweight and a bar to do pull-ups that test your arm and back strength. Guys should aim to reach ten and females should do 3-4.
5. 500m Rowing Challenge
Rowing tests your fitness from head to toe and is a serious and challenging aerobic and anaerobic workout. No need to go for a real rowing expedition, use a stationery rowing machine at the gym and try to row 500m at 1min45sec to 2min pace.
6. 500-Stair Challenge
They say climbing stairs is a serious cardio exercise. Stair running helps you get fit and lean. Run up and down – 500 stairs- in 5 minutes. Now that’s some challenge! Start slowly, doing 50 stairs a day and gradually increase it to 100, then 250, then 400 and then aim to finish 500 in 5 minutes
7. Flexibility Test
In the flexibility test, get your bottom on the ground and aim to reach for your toes and hold. This challenge requires you to have lower back and hamstring flexibility and it improves your over-all long term health.
8. Turtle Test
Turtle test requires you to lay down on your back and stand up without using your hands. Yes! It needs great amount of core strength, flexibility and leg strength. This requires a long term fitness to be able to take this challenge. To stay physically fit, one must constantly keep challenging themselves, whether they are 25, 35 or 45 years old. You owe it to yourself.
