By To Your Health and Mark Hubbard
Here are 8 fun challenges & games to try this January.
Let’s face it–New Year’s resolutions are so passé. They’ve been made and broken so many times over the years that they are downright discouraging. And they’re hard! Especially when they have to do with exercise or dieting.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! It’s time to turn those old resolutions on their head and make them into something fun that you can look forward to. How do you do that? By making them into games and short, fun challenges instead of long, boring workouts or those dreaded kale-eating sessions.
With that in mind, here are 8 ways to “gamify” your New Year’s. These are ideas you can do on your own or with friends, family, or co-workers. Try a few until you find one or two that work for you. And start enjoying your newfound resolution games in the new year!
1. “Try 10” Veggie and Fruit Challenge
For a month, challenge yourself (or your group) to try 10 new fruits and vegetables or 10 new ways of preparing them.
- Keep a list on the fridge or in a simple notes app.
- Each new produce or preparation method earns a checkmark; when you hit 10, celebrate with a favorite healthy meal or outing.
- Recommendation: it could be as simple as trying a new kind of apple – there are so many varieties in stores today https://waapple.org/varieties/all/
2. “Upgrade One Thing” Month
Pick one meal (say, lunch) or one daily habit (afternoon snack) and upgrade just that thing for 30 days.
- Examples: always include a serving of vegetables at lunch, or swap your usual snack for fruit plus protein.
- Track days completed in a paper calendar or habit app; aim for the longest streak rather than perfection.
- Recommendation: prepare make-ahead “loaded” salad jars for the week; include ingredients like chickpeas, whole wheat penne and feta cheese to make it extra satisfying and nutritious.
3. Walking Meetings or Phone-Walk Rule
At work or with friends, make a standing rule: if it’s a one-on-one chat or phone call, you walk while you talk whenever possible.
- Track how many “walking meetings” you rack up in a week, and set a shared target (for example, 5 or 10 walking chats per person).
4. Cook-The-Book Challenge
Choose a healthy cookbook or a stack of dietitian-approved recipes and challenge yourself (or the family) to cook a set number of them over 4 weeks.
- Put the list on the fridge and check off each recipe you try.
- Let different people choose and prepare the next recipe.
- Recommendation: rate each recipe –“winners” go into your regular healthy meal rotation.
5. 30-Day Strength Streak
Choose one basic strength move—wall pushups, sit-to-stands from a chair, or a plank—and do a small, realistic amount every day for 30 days.
- Record reps or time in a notebook or app, watching the numbers tick up as you get stronger.
- Families or teams can each choose their own move and celebrate all streaks at the end–special prize for the longest streak.
6. “Commercial Break” or Timer Workouts
Any time a commercial comes on TV or your phone timer goes off, everyone does a short movement burst: 10 squats, 10 wall pushups, or 20 marches in place.
- Set a repeating reminder on your phone every 60–90 minutes during the workday.
- At home (evening or weekends) make it a household rule: every commercial break or timer alarm = quick movement, then back to relaxing.
7. Deck-of-Cards Workout Game
Assign each suit an exercise (for example, hearts = squats, spades = pushups, clubs = bridges, diamonds = marching in place). Flip one card at a time; the number is your reps.
- Do 5–10 cards for a quick workout, or split the deck among several people.
- Jokers can be “wild cards” like a 1-minute dance party.
8. Rainbow Plate Game
Challenge everyone in the household (or team) to eat fruits and vegetables in as many different colors as possible each day.
- Keep a color chart on the fridge; each color eaten gets a checkmark.
- At the end of the week, celebrate whoever completed the most “rainbows.”
The Takeaway: Make It Fun!
The point here is to steer your eating and exercise behaviors in the right direction and have some fun in the process. By gamifying those old boring resolutions, you’ll not only exercise more and eat healthier–you’ll feel good doing it!
Linda Hubbard is an RN, Nutrition Specialist & Founder of To Your Health, a national nutrition and wellness coaching firm based in Wallingford, CT.
Mark Hubbard is a writer and editor with years of experience in the health and science sectors. He specializes in distilling complex topics into understandable, engaging text.