Most Stridekick users are familiar with our classic step challenges — but what if your goal isn’t measured in steps? That’s where custom activity challenges come in. These flexible challenges let you track just about anything you want to focus on: fitness routines, personal habits, mental wellness, or even fun daily tasks.

Whether you want to stretch more, drink more water, or remember to text people back (yes, really), custom activity challenges can help you stay on track!

How Do Custom Activity Challenges Work?

Here’s how to create one in just a few steps:

1. Set any goal
   You can choose from our ideas below or create your own. Just describe it in 50 characters or less. For example: “Drink 64 oz of water” or “Call Mom.”
   
   
2. Decide how often the goal should be completed
   Do you want participants to check off the goal every day of the challenge? Or just a certain number of times (like 15 out of 30 days)?
   
   
3. Track your progress right in the app
   Logging your activity is quick and easy. You can mark it as complete from the top of your dashboard or directly in the challenge itself where you can also see how everyone else is doing!

10 Ideas for Your Next Custom Activity Challenge

1. Calisthenics
   
   • Custom challenges are perfect for bodyweight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, or planks. Create a daily or weekly goal (e.g., “50 push-ups a day”) and manually track your progress. This is a great way to stay consistent and see gains over time, even if your steps don’t reflect it!
2. Complete a strength training or cardio workout
   
   • Whether you're lifting weights, hitting a spin class, or getting your heart rate up with a HIIT session, custom challenges make it easy to stay consistent. Just log each completed workout to track your progress, and start seeing those gains!
3. Swimming
   
   • Since many fitness trackers don’t record swimming data accurately, custom activity challenges are a great workaround. Track your swims by time, laps, strokes, or sessions – whatever works for you. Just log each workout manually to keep your challenge on course.
4. Meditate for 5 minutes
   
   • Fitness isn’t only physical. Set a custom challenge for daily meditation or mindfulness sessions. Whether you're aiming for 5-minute breathing exercises or 30-minute guided meditations, this type of challenge helps build mental wellness alongside physical activity.
5. Drink 8 glasses of water
   
   • Staying hydrated is crucial, yet easy to overlook. Create a hydration challenge and commit to drinking a specific amount of water daily. For example, “Drink 8 glasses of water every day for 30 days.” It’s a simple habit that makes a big difference!
6. Somersaults
   
   • Not all challenges have to be serious, and that’s the beauty of custom activity tracking. Want to roll around the yard doing somersaults for fun? Go for it. (And yes, technically, that is exercise!) This is a great option for lighthearted group challenges or family fitness fun. Get rolling!
7. Putting on sunscreen
   
   • Sun protection is an important, and often forgotten, part of wellness. Set a goal to apply sunscreen daily, especially during summer months. A sunscreen challenge helps you stay consistent and mindful of skin health all season long. Now, you’ll be able to actually work on your relationship with the sun, instead of just assuming it will always hate you!
8. Volunteer or donate
   
   • Custom activity challenges can go beyond personal health. Track acts of community service, whether it's helping at a food pantry, donating clothes, or participating in a cleanup. Just set a goal (e.g., “Volunteer 4 times this month”) and check off each effort.
9. Call or connect with a loved one
   
   • This could technically be another form of volunteering (just kidding, love you Nana), but if you wanted to start calling your parents or grandparents more, a custom activity could be a great way to remind you, and stay in their good graces…
10. Remembering to text people back
    
    • This one’s for the chronic “I’ll text back later” crowd. Use a custom activity challenge to nudge yourself into better communication habits. Track how many times you respond to messages promptly, and turn a weakness into a strength with some gentle accountability. Take control of your absentmindedness with a custom activity challenge.

Additional Ideas for Custom Activities

Fitness

• Take an afternoon walk
• Complete 100 sit ups
• Complete 5 burpees
• Jump rope for 5 minutes
• Hold a handstand for 1 minute

Sleep

• Get 8 hours of sleep
• Go to bed 15 min earlier than usual
• Wake up 15 min earlier than usual
• Don’t oversleep
• Remember to wear your retainer

Mindfulness

• Read for 15 minutes
• Perform one act of kindness
• Spend a few minutes journaling
• Compliment a stranger
• Go phone-free for the day

Nutrition

• Limit caffeine to one serving
• Go without sugar or candy
• Be alcohol free
• Avoid eating red meat
• Eat a salad
• Give up soda

Personal

• Save $1
• Try something new
• Practice self-care
• Remember to floss
• Do the laundry

Make it your own

Custom activity challenges on Stridekick are a powerful way to bring intention and creativity into your wellness journey, and they’re not limited to fitness alone. Whether you’re setting goals for physical health, mental clarity, or personal habits, these challenges help you track what matters to you.

So go ahead, think outside of just steps. Try something new, and challenge yourself (and your friends!) in a way that’s meaningful, fun, and uniquely yours.

Ready to start your own custom challenge? Head to the Stridekick app and create one today!