“Working out doesn't have to be boring”—why I love this trainer’s Cha Cha Slide fitness challenge

A fitness challenge is a great way to keep exercise interesting and I highly recommend trying the Cha Cha Slide plank challenge, which I found on personal trainer Kaleishia Hoskins’ Instagram account.

The routine involves staying in a high plank while following the directions in the “Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper.

Hoskins demonstrates the fun challenge with her workout group of Amesha Batson, Char’Vonne Naylor Hall and Nicholas Dickens.

How to do the Cha Cha Slide plank challenge

I got in touch with Hoskins to find out where the challenge came from.

“This is an original fitness challenge that Nicholas and I collaborated on,” says Hoskins, “and we came up with the movements in a few minutes. Since the song tells you what to do, it didn’t take long to figure it out.

“Beginners can certainly do it, they just have to remember to engage that core. It’s challenging, but it was designed to be a fun way to end our workout session.

“It was not intended to be a series but after the popularity of the Cupid Shuffle core challenge we did, we’ve discussed other line dances that we can do.”

Because you have to hold a high plank while you do the leg moves, it’s great for building upper body and core strength. I gave it a try and here’s what I discovered.

What I learnt from doing the Cha Cha Slide plank challenge

Mr C The Slide Man - Cha-Cha Slide (Official Video) - YouTube

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It’s over before you know it

You have to concentrate to keep up with the moves, which helps to distract you from the physical challenge, and as a consequence, time seems to pass fairly quickly.

When I really hate an exercise (hello, burpees), I don’t feel like putting my all into it. However, when the moves are fun—as in this routine—it helps to avoid the thought “I don’t want to do this” going around my head and the time dragging.

It’s great to do with other people

I tried the routine both with my daughters and my Circuits Club exercise class regulars.

My kids, who are six and eight, struggled to hold the plank for long and were too busy laughing to complete the full circuit.

They’d never heard the track before and now they are always playing it in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, my Circuits Club regulars have all got decent core strength so they didn’t find the plank element difficult, but struggled with the coordination, often going the opposite direction to the person next to them, which had us all in hysterics.

This demonstrates one of the surprising benefits of exercising with others—research has shown it’s great for social bonding.

It’s a great stress buster

If you are feeling fed up, tired, or stressed out, this challenge is a great little pick-me-up. It's fun, fast—less than five minutes—and I found it challenging in a good way. I’ll definitely try it again.