Why I don't love fitness challenges
Have you ever signed up for a fitness challenge? Four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks or longer? I strongly dislike challenges which is why for the most part, I refrain from using the word to describe my offerings. Currently, the only time I’m using it is for our 5-day focused challenges for the on demand platform, but they are only challenges because we work the same area of the body focused, 20 minutes a day for 5 days in a row. The challenges I’m not a fan of are the ones that are masked as health, when in reality I don’t believe them to be.
Fitness professionals or companies campaign and market to their respective communities so people sign up for a challenge. It 100% is a very successful marketing plan as it gets people to commit to your product/service for a specified amount of time, usually locking them in for the time-being. This is usually proposed to the consumers in a way where the offer feels like it is something you can’t refuse, or in today’s day, we will experience FOMO (fear of missing out), should we not participate.
On top of that, I find that fitness professionals pitch it in a way that is healthy and sustainable. We hear catch phrases like “feel better”, “boost energy”, “get stronger”, making us more keen to join, but in reality, it is perpetuating the need for an extrinsic motivator to get you moving. When one challenge ends, we are then left searching or waiting until the next one begins. I believe it should be a lifestyle of small healthy habits, adding up to a positive experience for everyone.
Have you ever heard of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?
Intrinsic motivation means that you are motivated by internal factors such as boosting your mood or feeling good as a result of the activity you participate in.
Extrinsic motivation is typically the motivation that comes externally such as external validation (think in the case of fitness challenges, the compliments you might receive from others about how you look), or a prize at the end. This also ends up being a perpetual type of motivation for those that finish one challenge and immediately feel the need to start the next.
When we sign up for these types of challenges, sometimes they come with before or after photos involved or a prize to be won at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good prize and can be competitive, but often times that is part of the issue. We end up doing it for the wrong reasons. I find that people get competitive with one another, often pushing themselves past a healthy limit, simply to “win”. And when we strive for an after photo, often times we are trying to look the way society wants us to (which unfortunately probably means thinner), and as a result, may lead us down an unhealthy pathway to get there.
Now, you may be thinking, “but I feel good afterwards so why aren’t challenges a good thing”? I don’t want you to think there is never a time and place for a challenge, but dig deep to ask yourself why and to also ensure you’re able to create healthy sustainable habits. Challenges usually come before a big day (wedding or vacation), and typically stem from a place of wanting to change physically. Although there are many ways to change physically, such as gaining muscle, losing weight, changing body composition, it almost always comes back to weight loss. Instead of stressing about how you want to look at the end of the challenge or your wedding/vacation, instead ask yourself how you want to feel and work backwards to achieve that.
Focus on how you feel. Do more of what excites you. Do less of what you feel you need to do out of obligation. There isn’t a one size fits all approach like it might seem like when joining a generic fitness challenge. Somewhere in the thick of that, you’ll find the balance of workouts, hydration, ideal meals, sleep, stress management strategies, and recovery that work for you.
Yours in self-discovery,
Rachel