What is the 75 Hard fitness challenge?

Expert opinion – is it right for you?

Stephanie Davies, a behavioural psychologist and the founder of consultancy Laughology, says: “Anything that gives someone help to change behaviour positively is not a bad thing, but the problem with these fads and short-term solutions is that people revert to what they were doing before.  

“Often there needs to be wider changes to lifestyle and habits for long-term behaviour change to happen and be sustainable. There can be a range of outside influences that either incentivise behaviours or make people slip into old habits. The 75 Hard challenge does not address any external factors. 

“The rule that if you fail you start at the beginning is demotivating and punishing. It creates unhelpful narratives about having a day off, or unperforming for any range of issues.”

Fraser Smith, a personal trainer and the founder of Vive Fitness says: “It is important to view 75 Hard as a personal challenge and nothing beyond this. It is militant by design, which is not going to appeal to everyone. It suits the extreme among us – think Iron Man and Marathon Des Sables. 

“This is not to say that you won’t get results if you follow the programme to the letter, but it’s unlikely that you’ll make sustainable habitual changes for your long-term health. If you are looking to develop healthier sustainable habits, start by seeing if it can be enjoyable and start at a level suited to you. But an element of hard challenge or strictness every now and then can be a positive discipline, as long as it’s viewed as a challenge rather than a lifestyle.”

Priya Tew, a specialist dietician from Dietitian UK, says: “I know someone who did this challenge and came to me because they developed an eating disorder as a result. It throws up a lot of red flags – for example, over-exercising without rest days is not ideal. 

“Rest is important for the body and there will be days when you are more tired or unwell. If you push yourself and punish your body during these times, it could have a detrimental effect on your health and your attitude to exercise, which should be enjoyable, particularly if the aim is to develop good habits. The 10 pages of a book is a good one. Drinking more water can also be beneficial, although a gallon a day may be too much for some people. 

“We also know that generally diets don’t work. As an eating disorder specialist, I think that taking a picture every day is detrimental. It could encourage harmful self-criticism. 

“Overall, if you soften the programme there are elements that could be beneficial, such as thinking more about eating healthier food, drinking more water, reading more, spending time outdoors. These are all good things, but the programme makes them strict and routine.”