What is 75 Hard? Exploring Transformation Through Physical and Mental Challenges
In today’s age of instant gratification, it can be hard to find motivation to achieve life-long goals. Many people struggle to stay on track when it comes to maintaining healthy lifestyle practices – like working out regularly, eating healthy, and getting good rest. That’s where 75 Hard comes in. This challenge is designed to help people commit to transformation on both physical and mental levels, pushing them beyond their comfort zone and towards a better, happier lifestyle.
The 75 Hard Challenge was created by fitness expert, Andy Frisella. It consists of two main elements – physical and mental – that are each based on five challenges. These ten goals need to be completed each day for 75 straight days. The hope is to condition the participants to stay motivated, cultivate discipline, and make healthy behavior a regular practice.
Physical Challenges
The physical challenges of 75 Hard are designed to get people moving. It starts with a commitment to do two forty-five minute workouts every day. This could be any mix of activities that makes participants sweat and get in touch with their physical selves – running, cycling, strength training, yoga classes, etc. The goal of the program is to help people get into a habit of daily exercise, even when it’s the last thing they feel like doing.
The next challenge is to drink one gallon of water throughout the day. Drinking plenty of water is essential to good health, and this challenge ensures that participants are getting adequate hydration.
The third physical challenge is to eat clean. That means consuming more whole, unprocessed meals and fewer unhealthy snacks, as laid out in nutritionist Mike Samuels’ My Eating Habits program.
The fourth challenge is to take a progress picture every day, because seeing the physical changes can be a great motivator. The fifth and final challenge is to get ten thousand steps done per day – which can include a combination of exercise and daily activities to track on a Fitbit, pedometer, or similar device.
Mental Challenges
Self-improvement is not just about physical transformation. Mental health is just as important and is addressed in the mental element of 75 Hard. It starts with the individuals picking two personal development books to read every day. This could be anything that helps them expand their knowledge and develop new thoughts and ideas, such as memoirs or biographies.
The second challenge is to write at least ten pages of notes every day. That doesn’t mean ten full-length articles – just jotting down ideas, keywords and observations from either the books or general points throughout the day. The point is to write down your thoughts, thus improving your focus and helping you to stay productive.
The third challenge is to listen to twenty minutes of audio material every day. This could be anything from podcasts to audiobooks to online lectures, so long as it is inspiring and informative material.
The fourth challenge is to do something nice for someone else every day. This is a great way to help others, as well as foster compassion and gratitude in the participants.
The final challenge is to meditate for fifteen minutes every day. Meditation can help reduce stress, improve focus, and help clarify our thoughts.
Conclusion
75 Hard is a program designed to help people make lasting lifestyle changes on both physical and mental levels, creating lasting transformation and sustained happiness. Though it can be difficult, the challenge provides the discipline and motivation necessary to stay the course, creating healthy habits and reaching goals.