The good and bad of #75hard challenge
As the American fitness programme trends across India, reaching the hinterlands too, experts give us a low-down
Phrases such as “Drink 1 gallon of water” and “Take a progress picture” are used liberally on motivational posters or captions shared by fitness influencers. However, these lines are right out of the 75 Hard Challenge, a viral health programme that claims emotional and physical transformation by following a set of principles for 75 days. Created in 2019 by Andy Frisella, a US-based consultant and the CEO of 1st Phorm International, the programme claims “mental toughness” by sticking to five critical tasks a day, which can “100x [improve] the following traits in your life — confidence, self-esteem, self-worth, self-belief, fortitude, grittiness and discipline”.
Since its inception, #75Hard has become a trending fitness goal across the globe and in India, inspiring fitness enthusiasts from rural areas too! We speak to experts to explore the good and the bad of the challenge and how one can participate.
TOUGH BUT TRENDING
Fitness enthusiasts from the suburbs of Maharashtra, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are also participating in this #75Hard challenge. Creators like Ankit Singh Baiyanpuria have played a key role in popularising the challenge in rural India with videos amassing over 100 million views, showing how people can workout with no equipment.
Actor and athlete Shweta Mehta, who completed the challenge in June, feels it is “more mental toughness than physical”. “Once, I was stuck in a traffic jam in Pune for nine hours and I thought I wouldn’t be able to continue the challenge. But, I managed to read my book in the cab and finished indoor and outdoor workouts after reaching the hotel,” says Mehta.
TRE(a)D WITH CAUTION
Experts believe that this trend can help you self-assess your health goals. “In the long run, following a routine can help avoid chronic lifestyle-related diseases and support good mental health,” says Ashish Rani, assistant manager of dietetics, Aakash Healthcare, adding, “Talking to a healthcare expert is always recommended before making such a major shift in your routine.”
It is also important to note that the challenge might negatively impact health with tasks such as drinking 1 gallon (3.7 litres) of water every day, which can lead to water intoxication in some cases. “The plan, in many ways, is related to simple philosophies of eating well, exercising, reading, hydrating and monitoring your progress. It can be achieved with a less aggressive, easier-to-follow approach,” explains Dr Komal Malik, head dietitian, Asian Hospital, adding that pregnant and lactating women, senior citizens and people with eating disorders should avoid taking up the challenge.
Paramjeet Singh, consultant psychiatrist, PSRI Hospital, adds, “The maker doesn’t provide scientific evidence for how the components in the programme develop or prove mental toughness. So it’s just a collection of arbitrary rules to follow each day.”
The ‘critical’ daily tasks you need to check off
Follow and build a diet with a structured eating plan to help aim for physical improvement. No alcohol or meals outside your chosen diet are allowed.
Complete two 45-minute workouts, one of which must be outdoors.
Take a progress picture.
Drink 1 gallon of water.
Read 10 pages of a book. Audiobooks are not counted.
No alterations to the programme are allowed. Miss a step and you are back to day one.
For the physical and mental toughness
“The difficult part is consistency. Once, I was stuck in the traffic for nine hours in Pune and I thought I would lose it. But I managed to read my book in the cab and finished indoor and outdoor workouts after reaching the hotel. If you fail to take a snap, you need to begin from day 1. It helped me became mentally and physically stronger.”
Shweta Mehta, Actor and athlete
Workout, eat, read, repeat
Son of a farmer, Ankit Singh Baiyanpuria is a wrestler and fitness influencer from Haryana with 1.4M followers. He is on day 57 of the challenge and uses bricks and a spade as his workout tools. He eats a homely meal of rotis and lentils and reads 10 pages of the Bhagavad Gita every day.
Inspired to take up #75Hard
The challenge reached rural India as well. “Fitness enthusiasts from the lesser known areas of Kohlapur, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh are taking it and it shows the reach of this challenge. People are mostly sharing the positive results of this program as it helps them build a positive habit. I am also inspired to take up the challenge soon because I strongly believe it definitely has several potential benefits including improved confidence , self esteem & mental toughness.”
Supriya Nagpal, fitness enthusiast and Influencer
(With inputs by Sneha Chakraborty)