30 Day Burpee Challenge: Kickstart Your Fitness Routine

A guide to setting realistic and enjoyable fitness resolutions that you can stick to

New year isn't the only time to make a fitness resolution. Whatever the season, setting yourself a fitness challenge is a smart way to refresh your fitness regime. And why not start with our 30 Day Burpee Challenge?

First let’s look at setting our resolutions and how to stay motivated. Tempting as it is to daydream of a ‘life-nailing’ version of yourself, let’s be honest, the ‘You 2.0’ might not magically appear – so maybe we need to be realistic...

Have you failed to stick to a routine before? Be honest with yourself about why this was.
Will you be working/earning/sleeping the same amount in the coming months as you have been? If so, how will you find the time/money/energy to stick to the routine?
Think carefully about what you want to achieve. Losing 2 stone in six months is a great target, but what happens around the 8 week mark? Your weight loss goal might be a long way off.

TOP TIP: To boost moral and keep motivated, give yourself realistic short, medium and long term goals – and make them measurable.

For example, something that you can record, like inches lost, or a fitness achievement like being able to do 15 Burpees. Plan them out across the calendar – breaking your long term goals into bite-size mini projects.

Our 30 Day Burpee Challenge is a great way to make sure you know what you’re doing every day. Print it out, stick it up.

Whilst you are working through the 30 days FOCUS on the exercise. Often what motivates us is an imagined, slimmer, fitter, happier person. Instead of focusing on what might happen in the future, settle your attention and mind instead on the workout. Focusing fully on each training session will help you to push yourself. Quiet the mind and put your attention into your body, focusing on your movement and form.

Even if you don’t chose to do this 30 day challenge, make sure you are booked into regular classes or have a rigid plan written down or downloaded onto your phone.

I’m a Personal Trainer who loves to exercise but even I can struggle if I’ve started to work out and don’t have a solid plan from the outset. Without focus you can become easily distracted, giving space for ‘I can’t do this’ and ‘I’m knackered’ thoughts which will soon mean you finish your workout before you’ve really pushed yourself.

So, the 30 day challenge: we’ve chosen burpees because they are challenging, you can do them anywhere and they can be progressed and moderated according to your fitness levels.

You have to use your whole body to complete a burpee. They rely on explosive movements and, as you work through the plan, your fitness levels will increase, requiring endurance to complete them all. It’s a wonderful strength/cardio/power sandwich that everyone can benefit from.

If you are a beginner, start without including a push up in your burpee. If towards the end of the challenge you feel able to include a few burpees with a push up it will be a great progression and enhance your upper body strength. There are plenty of videos online showing you good form for a burpee. This Burpee Video is clear and demonstrates the correct form.

So with focus and realistic goals to keep yourself going over the next couple of months, it can be a time to start habits that will stay with you for life.