The viral 75 soft challenge will help you start the new year on a high – and it’s editor approved
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The soft 75 challenge is a more sustainable way to build healthy habits – here’s how to do it. When I first read about the 75 soft challenge, I thought, “sounds totally manageable, I’m in”. I’m always keen to take on a new wellbeing challenge but personally, I approach viral fitness trends with a degree of scrutiny. For me, anything that encourages more movement and healthier habits is a good thing, but many online challenges can be unsustainable, incompatible with a normal routine and, at their very worst, physically harmful and a little bit culty.
![[I worked out for 45 minutes for six days and rested by just walking on one day]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/08/12/16/fitness-and-wellbeing-editor-emilie-lavinia-whoop4.0.jpg)
The 75 hard challenge hit TikTok back in 2019 and has since racked up more than 935 million views. The hardcore challenge was created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella who was inspired after interviewing James Lawrence – a superhuman who’s completed 50 Ironman races in 50 consecutive days across all 50 states.
The idea of #75hard is to "build mental strength and discipline", which sounds great. But to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t a trend I was particularly keen to try. To complete the challenge, participants must follow a strict plan for 75 days to change their habits, build mental fortitude and build a strong, resilient body. However, the rules are intense and in my opinion, they don’t sound all that fun or manageable for the average person. In fact, they sound a little nuts.
If the idea of two 45 minute workouts a day has set your teeth on edge, I’m right there with you. To me, 75 hard seemed like a total bro-off and an entirely unsustainable challenge. While some kind of movement is advisable, even professional footballers aren’t playing a whole 90 minutes every day. And as for the “any diet” rule, there isn’t much direction there, which has led nutrition experts to criticise the plan for its vagueness and potentially encouraging disordered eating. Then there’s the fact that your water intake should be based on your size and your level of exertion, so a whole gallon really doesn’t seem necessary for most people.
