Abel Ndooka
LONDON. – When you think of new year’s resolutions, a 75-day workout might not top the list.
But that’s what’s going viral this year as people take to TikTok to document their progress.
First, the ground rules: you stick to a healthy diet with no cheat meals or alcohol.
Plus on each of the 75 days, you do two 45-minute workouts, one of them outside, drink more than three litres of water and read 10 pages of a non-fiction book.
Meet 29-year-old Devamsha Gunput, who completed 75 Hard last March whilst working full-time as a digital consultant for a large corporation.
“It was definitely hard,” she tells the BBC. “Also living in Edinburgh, it was dark, wet and cold and you had to do one of the workouts outside.”
Devamsha says one of the most challenging aspects of 75 Hard was “setting boundaries” when visiting her South Asian family so that she could be strict with her diet.
“Having to exercise twice a day and be strict on my diet were really uncomfortable and new areas for me to tackle, because I hadn’t had that conversation before,” she says.
But since completing the challenge, she’s noticing the lasting impacts so far.
“I exercise a lot more regularly, my reading habits and my relationship with food have transformed,” she says.
While 75 Hard has turned into a viral craze over the last few weeks, it was actually invented back in 2019 by author and podcaster Andy Frisella.
But the challenge isn’t for everyone, which is something strength and conditioning coach Tana von Zitzewitz wants those who are considering it to bear in mind.
“You need a lot of time, not only for the workouts, but for reading the book – it seems a lot to try and cram into o”I definitely think there are elements people can implement, committing to 45 minutes of daily movement, being conscious of drinking more water and reducing screen time, but you need to be aware of what’s involved,” Tana adds.
Another aspect is motivation. “There is so much pressure for people to transform their lives at this time of year,” she says.
She suggests finding a way to “challenge yourself while also being kind”, so that you add fun and value to every day, without exercise and food feeling like a punishment.
From a medical perspective, it is difficult to determine whether 75 Hard is beneficial.ne day,” she tells the BBC.
NHS GP Sam Whiteman points out that, because “it has not been studied” in a clinical setting, it cannot claim to change your life in any way.
He also says that it would need to be compared to a more basic regime, to see if that could achieve the same results.
“If it’s a way for people to get out and be active then I am all for it, but if it’s a question of whether this is better than going to the gym three times a week or going for a run once a week and eating healthily, then I am not sure,” he adds.
Hitting certain criteria isn’t the intention of 75 Hard’s founder, Mr Frisella. He doesn’t set any rules that involve losing a certain amount of weight, for example. – BBC
Online Reporter
