New year, new you? Join the challenge: #barahabit23 – new challenge every Monday for 10 weeks and weekly winners!
We repeat the success from last year and are back with new challenges! You did so well at last year's Challenge, so we have decided to extend the challenge from 4 to 10 weeks!
We made the challenge #barahabit23 to help you on the way to making the most out of the new year, being inspired, motivated, creating new, healthy habits, doing something good for others and feeling better about yourself! And who knows, maybe you will inspire someone along the way!
Let's make the best out of this year, and the journey starts with YOU!
For 10 weeks, starting with week 1, Monday 2 January 2023, we’ll give you a new challenge. There will be one weekly winner for 10 weeks and one winner at the end of the 10-week challenge. This lucky winner will get the main prize of 5000 NOK / € 500 to shop at BARA Sportswear.
> See last year's BARA Challenge here
The #barahabit23 challenges will be posted on Instagram and Facebook (BARA Community). Follow us to make sure you don't miss the challenges!
How to join the challenge?
Joining is simple – you just have to participate! At each week's challenge, upload a photo or video of yourself on either Facebook, BARA Community (FB group) or Instagram, and tell us how the challenge went. Remember to use the hashtag #barahabit23 on social media when you participate in a weekly challenge (so we can find your post).
At the end of each week, we’ll draw a winner of a gift card (value 400 NOK / € 40), who has participated in the weekly challenge by using #barahabit23 on social media (10 winners in total).
When the 10 weeks are over, we’ll draw one winner who gets the main prize of 5000 NOK / € 500 to shop for at BARA Sportswear.
Week 1 (January 2, 2023): “BARA goals”
Your task: Write a top 5 list of what you want to achieve this year.
If you have more than 5 goals, you can make the list longer. The list will help you stay focused, even when things get tough. Have the list easily accessible in the house so you can look at it when you need it, for example on the refrigerator, bedside table, or mirror. Tip: Your goals should be measurable (see examples below).
Example of 5 goals:
- Say something nice to myself in the mirror every morning
- Be able to run 5 km
- Set a new, personal record on [insert your exercise]
- Go to bed at 10:00 pm every day
-
To be able to do 10 push-ups
When you have finished your list you can share your goals on social media by using #barahabit23 as a hashtag and #baragoals. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers to write their own list?
Week 2 (January 9, 2023): "Push up time"
Your task: Take push-ups every day for 1 week.
If you haven't done any pushups before, this week's going to be tough. We’re not going to lie. But, towards the end of the week, you'll be amazed by your strength, because you ARE strong! This week, you should do push-ups every day, either on your knees, against the wall (for beginners) or regular ones. Start the first day by taking as many as you possibly can, and aim to take the same number, or one more, each day until the end of the week.
> Not sure how to do wall push ups? Watch this video
Upload a photo or video of yourself on social media and tell us how this week's challenge went. Use #barahabit23 and #pushuptime as hashtags. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers to do push-ups as well?
Week 3 (January 16, 2023): “30 a Day”
Your task: Be active every day for at least 30 minutes. The activity is up to you!
To kickstart your active goals for 2023, we want to challenge you to be active every day for a week! Run, go for a walk, do yoga, strength training, vacuum, dance, lift weights, do CrossFit, kickboxing ... the choice is yours! Being active can be so much, and you don’t have to push yourself to the limit every time to take advantage of an active lifestyle.
Upload a photo or video of yourself on social media and tell us what you did to stay active this week. Use #barahabit23 as a hashtag and #30aday. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers to be active too?
Week 4 January 23, 2023): “The Plank”
Your task: Do the plank every day for 1 week!
Doing the plank is both a physical and mental test. If you practice doing the plank every day, you’ll see results in a short matter of time! In addition, this exercise is very good for core muscles. Depending on your fitness level, you should adjust the plank exercise accordingly.
Beginner level? Start with the plank on your knees. When you manage to stand like this for a minute, move on to standing on your toes.
Experienced? Try putting an exercise mat/yoga mat under your hands and/or something else that creates an imbalance. This will make the exercise extra challenging.
The goal? Increase your starting point from day 1 to the last day of the week. For example: If you manage to do the plank for 1 minute the first day, the goal is to manage 2 minutes at the end of the week.
Tip:
- Remember to breathe! If you hold your breath, it becomes more difficult! Your muscles need oxygen.
> Not sure how to take the plank? Watch this video
Upload a photo/video of yourself on social media and tell us how it was to do the plank for one week. Was it hard? Easy-peasy? Remember to use the hashtags #barahabit23 and #theplank. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers to do the plank too?
Week 5 January 30, 2023): "10,000 Steps Challenge"
Your task: Walk 10,000 steps every day for 1 week!
Walking is a great way to increase physical activity and improve overall health. The goal is to reach 10,000 steps daily by the end of the week. You can track your steps using a pedometer, a smartwatch, or a fitness app.
Tips:
- Make a plan for when and where you will walk each day.
- Get a walking buddy to keep each other accountable.
- Vary your routes to make it more interesting.
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.
- Walk to work.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Post a picture or video of yourself on social media and share your challenge with us. Use the hashtag #barahabit23 and tell us if it was hard or not. Encourage your friends to join in and walk their 10,000 steps too!
Week 6 (February 6, 2023): “Squat week”
Your task: Do 1000 squats in 1 week!
1000 squats in 1 week? That sounds scary, or? It may sound scary, but it’s very doable!. By dividing the number of squats for each day, you’ll succeed. And soon you’re done with the 6 week challenges. That’s why we know you’ll nail this too!
You can either do 142 squats per day for 7 days = 1000 squats
Or divide it as you like, until the total is 1000.
> Not sure how to do a squat? Watch this video
Upload a photo/video of yourself on social media and tell us about what it was like to do 1000 squats in one week. Remember to use the hashtags #barahabit22 and #squatweek. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers to do squats too?
Week 7 (February 13, 2023): "Home & strong"
Your task: Do BARA-Henriette’s 10 min. home workout every day for a week!
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have open gyms due to the global pandemic. That’s why we wanted to make a workout program you can do from home – and it only takes 10 minutes! You don’t need any equipment for this exercise program – only yourself, a bottle of water, your workout clothes and 10 minutes to spare.
> Click here if you want to jump straight to the exercises
Upload a photo or video of yourself on social media and tell us about how it was to do this 10-minute workout program from home. Use #barahabit23 and #homestrong as hashtags. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers to do the same?
Week 8 (February 20, 2023): "Stairs only"
Your task:
Rest is important because our body needs time to recover and repair itself after physical and mental exertion. When we rest, we give our body time to repair damaged cells, muscles, and tissues, which helps us maintain our health and strength over time.
Rest is also important for reducing our stress levels. When we are stressed, our body produces stress hormones that can lead to high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and other health problems. Taking breaks and resting can help reduce stress and increase our sense of well-being.
Finally, rest is important for maintaining good mental health. If we don't take the time to relax and recharge, we may experience exhaustion, irritability, anxiety, and depression. Taking breaks and resting can help reduce these negative feelings and increase our sense of happiness and satisfaction.
Week 9 (February 27, 2023): "Stairs only"
Your task: This week, elevators or escalators are not allowed. Your task is to walk, jog or run up all the stairs you come across in your everyday life.
Choosing stairs over an elevator, or escalator, may sound like a simple and doable task, but when you are in a hurry and may have to go far, it can still be challenging. This exercise should remind you that it’s the small things in life that together can make the big differences. Choosing an active lifestyle often starts in the small - and this week it starts with the first step!
If you have no stairs nearby, you can choose to use a stair machine (many gyms have these), or go upstairs at home for 5 min. a day.
Upload a photo or video of yourself on social media as you climb stairs using the hashtags #barahabit23 and #stairsonly. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers to go up the stairs too!
Week 10 (March 7, 2023): “Stretch”
Your task: exercises Do mobility exercises every day for 1 week!
Do you have trouble touching your toes? You’re not alone. Many of us have jobs where we sit most of the day and hence struggle with our mobility. We want to do something about this! Just by doing some good stretches for 5 min. a day you’ll quickly get results – and feel the difference.
You can make the challenge easy, either by focusing on better mobility on one exercise or doing a longer program that focuses on the whole body. This is entirely up to you!
A simple stretching exercise: Stand upright with your back straight. Breathe in and out slowly, and begin to move your upper body down with your hands first. The goal is to hit the ground with a flat hand, while the legs are straight, at the week.
Tip:
- Find a mobility program that suits your flexibility level. Some are already very flexible, while others need a beginner's program.
> Not sure where to begin with stretching exercises? Take a look at this video
Upload a photo/video of yourself on social media and tell us about what it was like to do mobility exercises. Was it painful? Relaxing? Remember to use the hashtags #barahabit23 and #stretch. Maybe you’ll inspire your followers too?
