15K May: Steps Challenge
Late spring always gets surprisingly busy around our house. Between work, kids’ sports, end-of-year school commitments, and everything else that piles up in May, my wife and I usually find ourselves without much time to think about fitness. To top it off, Memorial Day weekend basically kicks off pool season in Dallas, which means summer is officially staring us in the face.
I like to run, climb, cycle, lift, and do pretty much anything active whenever I have the time. But when parent life starts to pick up, the first things to go are my hobbies, which also happen to be how I stay fit. And to add a little extra pressure in 2026, I recently landed permits to hike Mt. Whitney in September, the highest peak in California, so I need to keep building my aerobic base. That brings me to the challenge…
So what is 15K May?
Exactly what it sounds like. Every single day in the month of May, I’m committing to hit a minimum of 15,000 steps. I’ll be tracking mine on my Apple Watch, but you can use any device you want. A fitness watch, phone, pedometer, whatever. As long as you can track your steps, you’re good.
I’m opening this challenge up to the Sober Psycho community, plus anyone else on TikTok who stumbles across my post and wants to join. The average person takes somewhere around 3,000 to 5,000 steps per day, so this challenge is basically committing to about 10,000 steps per day above and beyond the average.
Any movement that tracks steps counts:
- Walking
- Running
- Rucking
- Hiking
- Chasing kids around
- Whatever gets you moving
For reference, 1 mile is roughly 2,000 steps. So by committing to 15K May, you’re committing to move somewhere around 7+ miles of movement per day.
What’s the extra credit?
The extra credit is something I came up with that my wife and a few followers told me was a little intense. Fair enough. However, since I still plan on doing it, I decided to make it optional. The extra credit is 100 reps per day of any bodyweight movement.
Think:
- Push-ups
- Pull-ups
- Air-Squats
- Sit-ups
- Crunches
- Dips
- Planks
- Anything else you can think of
- I’m personally using this to prep for Memorial Day Murph – so push-ups, pull-ups & air-squats!
You can do 100 reps of the same movement or mix it up however you’d like. The steps are the challenge. The reps are just a bonus for anyone who wants to make it a little spicier & balance out the focus on lower-body movement.
Why I’m doing this
If you’re like me and need a challenge or kick in the butt to stay committed in May, 15K May is a simple way to feel good heading into summer without having to overthink a fitness routine. 15K is the base requirement. You’re welcome to do more. And if you can’t run, don’t run. Just walk. I guarantee adding 5+ miles of walking on top of your normal daily step count is going to feel more intense than it sounds, especially when you’re doing it every single day.
I’m a big believer in everyday challenges like this because people often underestimate what they’re capable of. You don’t have to completely overhaul your life. You just need a clear target, a little accountability, and the willingness to show up daily.
15K steps a day, every day in May. Let’s see what happens! If you want to share your journey, use the hashtag #15KMay and post a screenshot or photo of your Apple Watch, phone, or whatever you’re using to track steps!
