9 Fun Healthy Happy Movement Challenges to Try (with actionable ideas to get started!)

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Looking for inspiration to be more active and ENJOY being more active? Here are some fun, realistic, actionable healthy happy movement challenges to become stronger and happier.

In this post we’ll discuss:

• What healthy happy movement is
• How to start building habits and set SMART goals
• 9 types of healthy happy movement you can try, including what’s in it for you by doing them and specific ideas to get started

I encourage you to choose one of these ideas (or something else you have in mind!) and try to do it every day for 30 days. See what a difference it can make in your life!

You can live intentionally with passion and purpose as God’s beloved.

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Let’s dive in!

What is a healthy happy movement?

Though I can’t take credit for coining the term, here’s my definition of healthy happy movement.

Healthy happy movement – pursuing movement that is healthy for you and brings you joy – either before, during or after the movement

Coffee Chats and Yoga Mats

Basically, a healthy happy movement is all about being active in a way that’s

• Healthy for your body, mind, and heart. For instance, if spinning in circles makes you nauseous, swing dancing may not be your jam. Likewise, if you feel worse about your own body after group fitness classes. (Hint: You have other options!)
• Injects joy into your life. Perhaps it’s the excitement beforehand (I’m gonna conquer a mountain!), during (Hiking feels so good!), or after (That was hard, but, boy, do I feel like a boss now!) – or all of the above!

Want some data to back this up? Read Why You Need Healthy Happy Movement in Your Life.

With this definition of healthy happy movement in mind, here’s why I’m so passionate about healthy happy movement.

Why we’re talking about healthy happy movement

Perhaps you, too, always thought that regular workouts were for “athletic people” – a club you could never join.

Maybe you think you just don’t have what it takes. You aren’t:

• Well-coordinated
• Flexible
• Strong
• Fast
• … whatever that may be

As a kid, I was always discouraged from pursuing physical activities. I didn’t “have the genes” to be athletic.

As a teenager, I dug into health magazine workouts and tried out a Denise Austin Pilates video. And… my whole understanding of fitness, work-outs, and athleticism was overhauled.

On humid afternoons, I’d sweat it out to Denise Austin’s encouraging voice, “Just one more!” Each time I came back to the video or tried another move from Self magazine, I felt stronger than before.

This was my introduction to healthy happy movement. Fitness could be fun and empowering. Plus, I could do it on my own terms! (No chasing sports balls necessary!)

Years later, when I started grad school, I gifted myself a Yoga and Pilates teaching certification. Not only did this certification open doors to friendships that became family, an amazing opportunity, and support me through two years of job-searching, but it also helped me manage the extreme stress I was juggling.

Soon after beginning my work at ASU, I began to teach PiYo (a blend of Pilates and Yoga) during my lunchtime breaks. I continued teaching PiYo until my increased job responsibilities and high-risk pregnancy led me to put that on pause.

Over the past decade or so of teaching PiYo, I’ve seen firsthand how much healthy happy movement can profoundly improve the quality of life for my students and myself. That’s why I can hardly wait to share these ideas and tangible ways to implement them with you!

Hopefully, it’s clear that you need healthy happy movement in your life. Now let’s dive into the research behind habit building, which can help you more consistently engage in healthy happy movement.

The science behind habit building

Did you know that you can achieve awesome things through your habits? That consistently showing up in small ways can often help you make some big changes?

If you’re curious about how small changes can make a big difference to your quality of life, read

Since Clear did the research (and a whole book!) about habits, I’ll hit the highlights and hope you look into more of his writings.

Here are key points from his post: How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide:

1.  Start with an incredibly small habit.
2. Increase your habit in very small ways.
3. As you build up, break habits into chunks.
4. When you slip, get back on track quickly.
5. Be patient. Stick to a pace you can sustain.

As you choose your own healthy, happy movement, keep these points in mind. Giving yourself grace and consistently showing up (even when you don’t want to or even half-heartedly) can make a big difference in your progress.

Set SMART goals

When you set these goals or give yourself these mini healthy happy movement challenges, use the SMART goal-setting framework.

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely (i.e. you know when you’ll do it or by when you’ll accomplish it)

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For instance, rather than saying, “I’m going to walk more,” be specific. You could instead say, “I’m going to reach 10,000 steps by bedtime each day.”

This goal is more specific (what walking goal you’re aiming for), measurable (10,000 steps a day), achievable (you could actually do this in a day), relevant (you want more healthy happy movement in your life!), and timely (you’ll aim to hit your target by bedtime each day).

When you set your healthy happy movement goal (or any other intentional goal), it’s okay to set a goal that isn’t for 7 days a week. Perhaps you decide to commit to the activity 5 days a week. That’s fine! Just start.

With the data in mind, let’s dive into some super fun ideas for healthy happy movement YOU can try out – starting today!

1. Set a walking goal

Why is walking a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

Here are a few highlights from AmericaWalks:

• It’s good for your mind, including assisting with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and happiness.
• Walking in green spaces can improve your sleep.
• It can help prevent arthritis.
• Walking with a buddy or buddies can help you not only stick to it but also improve your overall well-being.
• It’s easy and accessible – you can do it in most places!

Walking challenge suggestions

• Reaching X steps a day (10,000 steps is a great start!)
• Walking X miles a day (Pick a mile goal to start with and work your way up!)
• Walking briskly for X minutes a day (30 minutes might be a great start!)
• Go with a buddy for a stroll around your neighborhood
• Aim to get up and walk around for 5 minutes every hour (even if it’s just circles around your kitchen)

Here are some more tips for how to make walking part of your life.

Bonus tip!

If where you live is really hot (Howdy from Arizona!) or super cold and this tends to stop you from walking, have a backup plan for what you will do if the weather is intolerable. Can you walk in place in front of the TV? Walk in circles around your house? Use a treadmill? Have a backup!

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2. Prioritize healthy posture each day

Why is healthy posture a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

Here’s what slouching or slumping does for you:

Slouching or slumping over can: misalign your musculoskeletal system; wear away your spine – making it more fragile and prone to injury; cause neck, shoulder and back pain; decrease your flexibility; affect how well your joints move; affect your balance and increase your risk of falling; make it harder to digest your food; make it harder to breathe

Medline Plus

Improving your posture challenge suggestions

Yikes! With all that in mind, you could challenge yourself to start improving your posture by:

• Setting a recurring timer to remind you to check your posture
• Practice shifting how you sit and stand to a more posture-friendly position
• Practice not crossing your legs
• Keep your elbows close to your body
• Use an app to coach you through it
• Pursue another healthy happy movement – a strong body can develop a healthy posture more easily!

This article has more detailed tips for how to improve your posture.

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Start with one small shift. You don’t have to immediately move into a perfect posture for an entire day. (Heck, will you even REMEMBER to do that after NOT doing it for years?!)

For instance, you decide to focus on not crossing your legs. After that becomes more instinctive, move to another shift, like relaxing your shoulders, and so forth.

3. Practice mindfulness

Why is mindfulness a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

I love this quote from Headspace about what meditation is. (I also think it describes mindfulness super well!)

Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well.

Headspace

Consciously choosing to become more mindful about your body, thoughts, and emotions can be so good for you. (Want to know more? Here are 12 Science-Based Benefits of Meditation.)

Mindfulness challenge suggestions

• When you wake up from sleep, breathe deeply and notice how your body feels. Rather than judging how your body feels or should feel, just notice what it feels.
• Set a reminder for a consistent time each day to remember to breathe. Close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and notice how your body is feeling.
• When eating food or drinking beverages, close your eyes and notice the texture, flavor, smell, etc. Savoring just a few bites or sips can help you become more mindful of the experience!
• Pick a suggestion or two from this article: How to Become a More Mindful Person
• Try a meditation app like Headspace

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4. Stretch daily

Why is stretching a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

As your resident blogging yoga instructor, I’m unashamedly biased – stretching is incredibly healthy, simple, and mood-bosting. Want some data?

Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.

Harvard Medical School

Basically, your body is more flexible, adaptable, and energized by stretching. Who doesn’t want that?

Stretching challenge suggestions

• Set a recurring timer for stretching sessions. If you’re new to this, start with 1-5 minutes. Heck, turn on a favorite playlist, podcast, or video and make it even more fun.
• Give yourself a stretching schedule. For instance, you prioritize stretching your neck and shoulders on Mondays, arms and hands-on Tuesdays, stomach and hips on Wednesdays, legs and feet on Thursdays, and so forth. This may help you remember to loosen up muscles on a regular basis.
• Incorporate stretching into a daily activity. For instance, you can stretch while you watch TV, while waiting for water to boil, or when playing on the floor with your kid.
• Try a stretching challenge! Here are a couple challenges available on the ‘net: 30 Day Flexibility Fitness Challenge and 30 Day Stretching Challenge for Beginners.
• Try any of my yoga videos to get you moving!

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5. Dance!

Why is dancing a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

You don’t have to be a good dancer to enjoy shimmying around your home. According to Potentash, dancing around your space can…

• Improve your mood by lowering stress and anxiety
• Boost your self-confidence
• Be a fun alternative to exercises and workouts
• Provide a healing effect on your emotions through music

Dance challenge suggestions

• Dance with others. (Perhaps a bit bold for the shy folks!)
• Give yourself a dancing challenge – dance around for 5 minutes each day!
• Play music each day that inspires you to move around.
• Combine dance-happy music with something else, such as cleaning, cooking, outdoor time, etc.

Want some dancing guidance? Check out films on Youtube or through your local library. A couple of my personal favorites are below. (I’m a big Bollywood dance fan…)

• Bollywood Dance Workout to Have a Blast While Burning Calories
• 10 Minute Bollywood Dance Workout to Improve Your Mood While Burning Calories!

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6. Plank it out

What is a plank?

Not sure what a plank is? Here’s what it looks like:

Planks for Beginners | Bowflex®

(By the way, I’ll post videos that involve planking – stay tuned!)

Why is planking a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

Planking (or holding a push-up position for a period of time) has many benefits. Here are 7 benefits of planks from Healthcorps.org:

1. It’s one of the best core exercises
2. Improves posture
3. Help reduce back pain
4. Improves coordination
5. Improves your flexibility
6. Improves your metabolism
7. Boosts your mood

Plank challenge suggestions

• Decide to do X number of planks for a period of days. (Like 10 planks for two weeks)
• Use a guided plank challenge. Here’s the one I used:
• Try a yoga or fitness video that guides you through how to plank properly. SUGGESTED VIDEOS

Personal experience: I did this challenge!

I gave myself a 30-day plank challenge earlier this year. The 30 day plank challenge I chose involved increasing how long I held a plank each day by 15 seconds. Eventually, I’d worked myself up to 8 minutes or so each day. (Note: It can also be helpful to adjust your position – like into a downward dog – as you go.)

It was an empowering challenge that required minimal tools or scheduling – just do it!

7. Try sun salutations

What is a sun salutation?

Here’s a short video to walk you through it.

How To Do A Sun Salutation | The Right Way | Well+Good

Basically, it involves the following steps:

1. Standing tall and stretching your arms up high
2. Folding down so that your hands are reaching toward your shins or the ground
3. Stepping or jumping out into a push-up position (or plank)
4. Slowly lowering your body down to the ground (rather like a push-up, but you place your belly on the ground)
5. Pressing up off the ground with your chest lifted toward the sky and shoulders relaxed (a few variations here)
6. Pushing back up into downward dog (on all fours, in a v-shape with your body, hips in the air)
7. Walking back and slowly rolling up to standing

Why are sun salutations a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

Why would you want to try doing regular sun salutations? Here are a few reasons from Brydie:

• Strengthens and stretches your body
• Depending on how quickly you do them, they can be a great cardio work-out
• Energizing and stress-relieving
• Boosts feelings of joy and peace!

Sun salutation challenge suggestions

• Practice sun salutations with the video above
• Set a goal of doing X sun salutations each day (personally, I’ve been aiming for 10 a day)
• Start or end your day with a specific number of sun salutations (the magic is not in the quantity, it’s in the showing up)
• Try doing sun salutations quickly or super slowly – either way works your body in different ways

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8. Squat it out

What is a squat?

Bowflex® How-To | Squats for Beginners

Why are squats a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

Here are 12 benefits of squatting from Urban Fitness:

1. Help build muscle
2. Quickly burn calories
3. Improves flexibility
4. Help with mobility and balance
5. Strengthen your lungs and heart
6. Can help prevent injuries
7. Maintain and improve your joints
8. Keeps bones strong
9. Improves your speed and ability to jump
10. Postural improvements
11. Improves digestion and circulation
12. Improves your daily life and physical abilities

Squat challenge suggestions

• Set a goal to do X squats every day (pick a number)
• Squat for 30 seconds every time you get up from a chair, couch, or bed (Sure, you might look a little weird at first, but you’re going to feel awesome!)
• Try this 30-Day Squat Challenge

9. Lift slowly and repetitively

If you’re new to lifting, I’ll have a video with lifting in the future. Stay tuned!

Why is lifting a great healthy happy movement challenge to try?

Intimidated by lifting weights? Guess what?

You don’t actually have to lift weights to reap benefits. You can also just lift soup cans, water bottles or other heavy things you have around your house.

According to Global News, here are 8 reasons why lifting weights (or water bottles!) is good for you:

1. It keeps your bones strong and healthy
2. It staves off disease
3. It boosts metabolism and burns fat loss
4. It regulates insulin and lowers inflammation
5. It improves posture, sleep, mood, and energy levels
6. It improves strength and endurance
7. It improves balance and the risk of falls
8. It boosts confidence

Lifting challenge suggestions

Don’t have weights? That’s okay. Grab a couple of water bottles, soup cans or something comparable to use for your lifting. Don’t overthink this.

• Choose to lift for X minutes a day (set a time frame – start small!)
• Set a lifting schedule (perhaps you do one kind of move on Mondays, another on Tuesdays, etc.)
• Get a buddy to lift with
• Lift while doing something you enjoy, like listening to an audiobook, music, or podcast, watching TV, etc.

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Articles related to ideas for healthy happy movement challenges

• Why You Need Healthy Happy Movement in Your Life
• Defeat this false belief: I’m not someone who works out!
• Why filling your cup is so important (and how to actually do it!)
• Relieve Tension with Yoga
• Relaxing Seated Yoga for Beginners and Yoga-Lovers
• Boost Your Mood: Easy Seated Yoga Mini-Session! (7 minutes)
• 51 Simple Joy Boosting Ideas for Your Day to Day

Wrapping up these healthy happy movement challenges

I hope you found some actionable ideas for adding healthy happy movement to your life! As we’ve discussed, healthy happy movement is all about movement that’s good for your body, mind, and heart. The DIY challenges we’ve discussed are:

• 1. Set a walking goal
• 2. Prioritize healthy posture each day
• 3. Practice mindfulness
• 4. Stretch daily
• 5. Dance!
• 6. Plank it out
• 7. Try sun salutations
• 8. Squat it out
• 9. Lift slowly and repetitively

You are God’s beloved. Your life matters. Move your body intentionally!

What healthy happy movement challenge will you choose to do? Or if you’re already doing something, what healthy happy movement challenge do you like to do?

Leave a comment and let’s chat!

P.S. Want some crazy simple steps to start living intentionally? Grab the Embrace Your Potential Playbook. It’ll help you zoom in on your God-gifted personality and give you practical tips to be more intentional, passionate, and purposeful as God’s beloved so you can become the best version of yourself.