20 Workouts in 30 Days Challenge

Perform 20 workouts in 30 days. Can be any type of workout.

Not all types of physical activity are suitable for everyone. Users take challenges and training advice at their own personal risk.

20 Workouts in 30 Days Challenge Additional Information

Imagine how much better you're going to feel and look and how much better your clothes are going to fit. Then imagine lower blood pressure, less shortness of breath due to physical exertion and healthier cholesterol levels and heart rate. These and perhaps other benefits will be yours after you complete the 20 workouts in 30 days challenge.

Always remember to consult your primary care physician before starting any exercise program, particularly if you have been inactive for any length of time.

The easiest way to complete the challenge is to do one workout per day Monday through Friday. This gives you the weekends off to allow your body to recover and replenish energy stores. Feel free, however, to adapt the following suggested program to best meet your lifestyle and schedule.

This program is a 60% aerobics and 40% resistance training. It can be done in the gym or at home. A treadmill or stationary bike, stair- stepper, elliptical trainer or rowing machine would be nice, but are not mandatory. A weight bench, some free weights and dumbbells are also optional but not required.

Monday- Aerobics

20 to 30 minutes on your aerobics device or walking at a brisk pace.

Be sure to warm up for five minutes prior and to cool down for five minutes afterward.

Try to maintain steady pace, one that makes you breathe hard, but not so hard that you can't carry on a conversation.

Tuesday- Weight Training

Focus on the upper body. Do one or two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions with weights sufficient to make the last two or three reps challenging, but still permitting you to maintain proper form.

Wednesday - Aerobics

Today, instead of maintaining a steady pace, do an interval workout. After warming up, go all out for 30 seconds at the highest level of intensity possible for you. Then, go to a slower pace for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to allow your heart rate to slow and your breathing to return to normal. Go through this cycle 5 to 6 times.

Don't neglect the warm-up and cool down period.

Thursday- Weight Training

On this day, focus on the lower body. Do exercises for the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and abdominal muscles. Follow the same sequence as you did for Tuesday's session.

Friday- Aerobics

Congratulations on making it to this point.

Switch things up a little bit today. This will keep you from getting bored and also prevent your body from adapting to the activity to the extent that the benefits of exercising are reduced.

For example, if you used a treadmill on Monday and Wednesday, go for a walk or jog, or go swimming. Increase the duration of the Friday session to 45 minutes. You'll have two days to rest and recover and be ready to start fresh on Monday.

On the second and subsequent weeks, increase the time or the intensity by no more than 10%. By the time you finish the 20 workouts in 30 days challenge, you'll be healthier and you will have established an exercise habit that will add to your enjoyment of life.