The 75 hard challenge! A viral craze or a meaningful fitness programme?

The ‘75 hard’ challenge is a viral trend that involves health-conscious people setting themselves personal goals that they are committed to achieving in a 75-day window.

These goals can range from simple tasks like reading 5-10 pages of a book each night to following a strict diet - the key to this trend is accountability and creating a visual countdown so that those following it can closely track their progress. 

Rhysa Phommachanh, Health and Personal Care Specialist at Landys Chemist, said: “While the challenge provides a great opportunity to promote discipline and healthy habits, it can also run the risk of causing burnout or injury, if those taking part in the challenge don’t listen to their body signals and over-exert themselves in workouts that they are not used to.

“Less-demanding versions of the challenge have also begun to gain popularity on TikTok, with ‘75 soft’ and ‘75 medium’ earning dedicated audiences. We highly recommend choosing the level that is right for you and your current fitness level.

“One of the most significant benefits of completing the 75 Hard Challenge is improved fitness. Carrying out these behaviours throughout the entire 75-day period is likely to instil habitual behaviours and practices that participants can continue with once the challenge ends. A successful 75-hard challenge can also be used as evidence of your dedication and resilience when faced with similar tasks in the future.

“When starting the 75 hard challenge, you should be aware that some goals seen online can be more strenuous than the ones that will fit best within your daily schedule. When mapping out your ‘hard’ goals to achieve, you should always take your amount of free time into consideration around other commitments to prevent burnout. 

“Those taking part in the challenge also need to be mindful of allotting enough time for active recovery, especially if they are pushing themselves with much harder workouts than they are used to - this is where the ‘75 soft’ or ‘75 medium’ challenges present themselves as more realistic and flexible alternatives.

“Consistent and sustainable challenges will have a longer-lasting impact on your overall health and fitness and definitely should be prioritised but the viral challenge is a great way to introduce these habits into your life and learn which ones benefit you the most!”