Like many people who have vowed to quit TikTok to cut down on screen time, I have been spending copious amounts of time on Instagram Reels. This time doesn’t feel as bad, however, because somehow, my feed has oriented itself completely towards health and wellness content. I see hours of footage every day on wellness hacks and fitness challenges to try with friends, and for research, I spent the past week trying some out. The following were the most worthwhile to complete.
First up, we have the plank mile: in a pair, one partner holds a plank while the other runs a lap, and the partners switch after every lap until both complete a mile. I tried this with my friend Katie one afternoon, and it was one of the most challenging workouts we have ever done. Luckily, both of us love to run, so we never had to plank for longer than two minutes. However, after one long plank, each subsequent one became exponentially harder. The laps also were not the best active recovery, since the stress of saving your friend from a longer plank propels you forward. In the end, though, after we caught our breath, we felt like we had gotten in a great full-body workout in a quite short amount of time. If you find yourself and a friend wanting to run outside, get some core in and finish working out within 20 minutes, this could be the challenge for you. You could also complete it by yourself, with 1-2 minute planks between each lap.
Hungry for more fitness challenges, I also decided to try my hand at the goblet squat challenge with my friend AB. I have been trying for years to grow thunder thighs, and I was hoping this challenge could bring me closer. It goes like this: both partners hold their choice of dumbbell weight. While one partner holds a squat position, with their thighs parallel to the floor (sitting with no chair), the second partner performs five full range of motion squats (butt to the floor). Once those five are complete, Partner One begins their five, while Partner Two holds the seated position. This repeats with reps of four, three, two, and one for each partner until both have completed every squat. AB and I took a couple of minutes to complete this challenge, but it felt like years. My quads were on fire, and I struggled to walk upstairs the next day. However, I would definitely say this challenge was worth it: squats felt easier the next time I tried, and it helped both my strength and my endurance.
The final trick I picked up from Reels was geared more towards wellness than fitness: it is supposed to improve your gut microbiome (I don’t know what that means), help you debloat and improve digestion throughout the day. The suggestion is to prepare hot lemon water with chia seeds to drink every morning. As the proud owner of an electric kettle in my dorm, I was thrilled to put it to use. On day one, I immediately noticed the taste was not the best, but since it was so hot, it still had a soothing effect. I also learned that this concoction was basically a homemade laxative. However, I think that means it was working as intended! After a few days, I had incorporated the hot chia lemon water into my daily routine. I can also say that it is nice to have a ritual to take care of yourself every morning, and more than debloating, the water serves that purpose for me.
Doomscrolling on Reels is certainly something I must stop, but I am pleased with some of the improvements it has led me to make in my life. Doing workout challenges with friends is a great way to keep the gym engaging, and it felt more like we were playing a game than doing something taxing. My hot chia lemon water became a lovely way for me to care for myself. One thing I found on Reels that I have not yet tried is the impossible mile: a mile with one lap of broad jump burpees, one of bear crawls, one of walking lunges, and one of jogging. But we will see what happens next issue!
Contact the editors responsible for this article: Katie McCabe and Finley Tipton
