With life’s constant stream of new adventures, challenges, and to-dos, adding to your routine can feel overwhelming. But healthier living often starts with a simple goal and a question: What if I just committed to this for a few weeks?
Whether you’re aiming to move your body more, build muscle, adopt consistent exercise habits, or reach another milestone, forward progress requires taking it one step at a time, one day at a time. A fitness challenge can be an effective and motivating way to start moving toward your objective, providing you with the tools you need to get where you want to go. And what starts as a few-week commitment often ends up resulting in a lifestyle change.
Earlier this year, the eight-week 60XT Challenge at Life Time helped more than 25,000 people dedicate focused time to their goals with daily workouts, healthy habit tracking, guidance from Dynamic Personal Trainers, and more. This supportive environment made all the difference for participants who were looking to reach the next level in their fitness or achieve a new goal.
The 60XT Challenge also included an optional competition, and at the end of the challenge, five winners were selected based on their physical and mental transformations. We asked three of them to share their experiences and offer advice on how to maximize every part of a fitness challenge. If you’re considering doing one yourself, keep reading — these Life Time members know what it takes to achieve success.
Scarlett Espinoza
Member at Life Time Miami at the Falls in Miami, Fla.
After shattering three bones in her left foot in July 2024, Scarlett Espinoza was determined to improve her mobility post-surgery and rebuild the strength she lost.
Prior to her injury, Espinoza had been a regular at Life Time. When her return to the club coincided with the 60XT Challenge, she saw the program’s structure as a way to stay consistent.
Using the daily checklist, as well as the in-person programming, she trained with intention and focus. She says the challenge helped her regain both physical and mental strength.
By the end of the 60 days, Espinoza gained six pounds of muscle mass and dropped her body-fat percentage from 30 to 16 percent.
“The 60XT challenge and Life Time have changed me in the most unexpected and incredible ways possible,” she says. “I saw definition return to my arms and legs, and my confidence hit levels I hadn’t felt in years. The small daily efforts added up and it meant that I was healing.”
Espinoza’s Fitness Challenge Tips
1. Put yourself first. A fitness challenge presents a specific time block to focus on your goals, so it’s important to remember that this is your moment. “I entered this challenge with the goal to win, but I also wanted to get healthier and get stronger,” Espinoza says. “I learned how to prioritize wellness over other areas of my life because I kept thinking that for the next 60 days, I’m doing this for the future me.”
2. Don’t underestimate internal progress. How you feel mentally is just as important as how you look and feel on the outside. “At first, I couldn’t really see the progress, so I had to remind myself that whether or not I could see the muscles, I felt stronger on the inside,” Espinoza explains. “I had to shift my mindset to focus on embodying the strength I felt through things like standing up taller or being more confident.”
Bharon Hoag
Member at Life Time Easton in Columbus, Ohio
Approaching his 50th birthday, Bharon Hoag knew it was time for a change. A chiropractor for 30 years, Hoag has spent decades learning about health and wellness, and he wanted to more fully embody the lifestyle he has long encouraged his clients to pursue.
Hoag’s journey at Life Time began with playing pickleball, and his fitness focus shifted to strength training after meeting Andrew Blosser, a Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time Easton. The two began working together in September 2024, and Blosser encouraged Hoag to join the 60XT Challenge. The transformation program was the perfect opportunity to increase Hoag’s training intensity and dial in on all aspects of healthy living, including nutrition and recovery.
Throughout the 60XT Challenge, Hoag lost 29 pounds and decreased his body fat by 9 percent. “Staying committed and getting to Life Time almost every single day are victories for me,” Hoag says. “This has been the first time I’ve made that a priority. Before I do anything else in the day, I’m at Life Time doing my workouts, and for me, that has been awesome.”
Hoag’s Fitness Challenge Tips
1. Find your community. The support of a community can make a huge difference in staying consistent. For Hoag, every smile or high five from a Life Time team member and unsolicited congratulations from fellow club goers motivated him to continue his journey.
“We were never intended or built to do things alone,” Hoag says. “Being part of a community allows you to build off each other. The camaraderie during the 60XT challenge was awesome because we were all working toward our own goals but still together.”
2. Find motivation in the program. Fitness challenges provide structure, deadlines, and often include a competitive aspect — all of which can be powerful motivators. Hoag credits these elements to keeping him accountable.
“The 60XT challenge was fun because it was a finite period of time,” Hoag says. “Knowing I was going to have to take ‘after’ photos was what helped me stay committed.”
Chaya Sanders
Member at Life Time Bergen County, in Montvale, N.J.
Between homeschooling and her kids’ activities, Chaya Sanders felt like she had lost sight of her own self-care. She wanted to reconnect with herself and regain control of her health.
Initially Sanders joined her local Life Time to give her kids a chance to grow and socialize through Life Time’s Kids Academy programming. She decided to take the leap and sign up for the 60XT Challenge after being encouraged by both Life Time team members and family.
Sanders worked with Greg Wetterau, Dynamic Personal Trainer at Life Time Bergen County, throughout the challenge, focusing on small daily habits such as staying hydrated and counting steps. Her goal was to make healthy living an effortless part of her busy schedule.
This challenge was a turning point, and she credits it for both physical and mental improvement and for helping her prioritize herself. Over the 60 days, Sanders lost 20 pounds and decreased her body fat by 10 percent.
“The 60XT Challenge didn’t just change my body — it changed my mindset, my routine, and the way I show up for myself,” Sanders says. “I’m stronger mentally and emotionally. I found myself again.”
Sanders’ Fitness Challenge Tips
1. Just start. There’s never a perfect time to start working out or to do a fitness challenge, so take the leap now. “If you’re thinking about doing it, just go for it,” Sanders says. “I wish I had trusted the process sooner because progress comes from consistency. You have to stop overthinking and just start.”
2. Focus on one day at a time. Don’t let the length of the program overwhelm you. Instead, focus on your daily habits.
“I took it one day at time rather than thinking about all 60 days. It was one decision at a time instead of every decision all at once,” Sanders says. “Thinking about the challenge in this way made it more doable and helped me stay grounded on hard days.”
