Fitness goals you should add to your bucket list

  • 13 Feb - 19 Feb, 2021
  • Mag The Weekly
  • FITNESS

Creating a bucket list of things you want to do before you die won't do much good if you're not healthy enough to follow through – so before you make good on your plans to run with the bulls or swim with the dolphins, why not make a separate bucket list of fitness goals?

Each of the following fitness goals examples are challenges that target a different aspect of fitness, from endurance to flexibility and strength. Once you've mastered one, strive to go to the next level by adding intensity, time, or reps. For example, once you finish a 10K, try training for a half-marathon. Read on for fitness goal ideas for women and tips on the why and how.

Do 25 pushups

Keep in mind that all good workout goals are realistic. Mastering the ability to perform 25 pushups is a very reasonable and reachable goal for most women. Benefits include upper-body strength in the chest (pectorals), shoulder girdle (scapular stabilisers), and arms (triceps).

Start with modified pushups, resting on your knees as opposed to on the toes. Keep your back straight, abdominals tensed, and hips and butt down. Your chest should completely touch the floor without allowing your midsection to drop onto the floor. Gradually increase the number of reps as you build strength until you can hoist yourself up on your toes in traditional pushup form.

Run a 10k (6.2 miles)

Conquering a 10k is one of the best fit goals for those who want to get into running. The distance is long enough to feel a true sense of accomplishment but does not require the same commitment and preparation time as a marathon. The benefits of training for a 10K are not only physiologic but also psychological. Physiological benefits include cardiovascular fitness, weight loss, and improved upper- and lower-body strength.

Start gradually, increasing mileage by no more than 10 per cent from the previous week. Beginners should pick a race about three months down the road and ask others to train with them or look for a running group.

Master 3 yoga poses

Yoga requires minimal equipment, provides stretching without stressing the joints, and can improve stress levels and posture.

Individuals new to yoga should begin slowly, ideally with an experienced instructor so poses and postures can be corrected and not lead to injuries.

Three good balancing poses to master: Warrior III, crow, and handstand.

Master a box jump

Plyometrics, also known as jump training, is an advanced way to train. In addition to fat-burning, [plyometric moves] teach you how to rapidly decelerate the body and reaccelerate in the opposite direction.

This ability comes in handy whether you're chasing a ball to the sideline in tennis then immediately returning to center court, or simply jumping off the commuter bus and immediately jumping over a puddle onto the curb, says Pire.

Good fitness goals always provide a challenge, so turn to the mother of all plyo moves: the box jump. It's killer for developing strength, power, and speed, plus gives you something to shoot for (literally).

We recommend incorporating slalom hops (lateral jumps) and speed skaters into your routine to work in additional planes of motion. Like box jumps, do them prior to your workout and after a thorough warm-up.

The good news is, once you've nailed it, you already have another fitness goal: Go higher!

Learn to swim

Swimming can have a positive impact on body fat, insulin levels, and overall health. A 2010 study published in the journal Metabolism compared a group of women walking versus swimming for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity three times a week for one year. The women in the swimming group lost more weight, experienced improved body-fat distribution, and insulin in the short term.

Climb a rope

Climbing a rope is another great (and fun!) challenge for those who are looking for a good upper-body workout.

Rope climbing is a skill that requires upper body/pulling strength, core strength, and flexibility.

Before you attempt climbing a rope, you need to build some pulling strength. Start with inverted rows with rings or a TRX, then, progress to strict pull-ups and chest-to-bar pull-ups. Then try rope pulls from a seated position: Sit under the rope and slowly pull yourself up to standing by "climbing" the rope.

You use your whole body to climb a rope, so you should also add triceps dips to your training as well as pressing exercises, such as push-ups and dumbbell overhead presses. Core work is majorly important too: Strengthening your abdominals, spinal erectors, obliques, and intrinsic stabilisers will build a strong core. Work hollow holds, Superman’s, sit-ups, v-ups, planks, and Russian twists.

Once you feel strong, learn a climbing technique: S-hook or J-hook. Once you nailed it with feet, go legless.

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