Health
75 Hard fitness challenge draws expert warnings as toned-down versions gain traction
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
An extreme, all-or-nothing fitness regimen is going viral again as millions seek rapid weight loss and mental toughness through its relentless daily rules. But as health experts warn the intensity may be unrealistic for many people, lighter versions of the challenge are also picking up steam.
Fueled by social media buzz and dramatic celebrity transformations, the viral 75 Hard challenge, created in 2019 by entrepreneur and podcaster Andy Frisella, requires participants to follow a rigid lifestyle regimen “without compromise.”
The rules include two 45-minute workouts each day — one outdoors — a strict diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, a gallon of water daily, 10 pages of nonfiction reading and a daily progress photo. Miss a single task in the 75 days, and the challenge resets to day one.
SIMPLE WEIGHT-LOSS QUIZ MAY PINPOINT WHY SOME DIETS FAIL — AND HOW TO BOOST SUCCESS
“The mental changes are 100x greater than the physical changes,” Frisella says on the challenge’s website. “This isn’t another temporary Band-Aid program,” he promises.
One of the daily workouts in the 75 Hard challenge must be completed outdoors. (iStock)
Supporters say the program builds discipline and accountability and has given many participants a clean slate at the start of the new year.
Experts, however, warn that extreme doesn’t always mean effective, especially for long-term weight loss and health.
3 SIMPLE LIFESTYLE CHANGES COULD ADD ALMOST A DECADE TO YOUR LIFE, RESEARCH SHOWS
“Any program that promises weight loss needs to take you into a calorie deficit,” said Dr. Milica McDowell, a Montana-based exercise physiologist and doctor of physical therapy. “If you are burning more calories than you are consuming, yes, you will lose weight.”
Experts say an all-or-nothing structure may not be sustainable for long-term weight loss. (iStock)
But she cautioned that the results often don’t last.
“The challenge with the 75 Hard workout is that when you stop doing it — which would mean burning fewer calories — and you do not change your eating and drinking behaviors, it is likely that whatever weight you lost during the challenge will come right back,” McDowell told Fox News Digital.
1 IN 5 AMERICANS GET NO EXERCISE OUTSIDE OF WORK; WHERE DOES YOUR STATE RANK?
“I do not consider this to be a sustainable way to lose weight,” she said.
The program requires participants to drink a gallon of water each day, a rule some experts say may be excessive for certain people. (iStock)
The Cleveland Clinic also says the program’s rigid, two-a-day structure may do more harm than good for people without a strong fitness base, particularly those with chronic medical conditions. Even drinking a gallon of water a day may be excessive for some people, depending on body size and health needs, it notes.
Medical professionals also urge caution for people with joint or heart problems, no exercise background, a history of eating disorders, or already demanding schedules.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
For those drawn to 75 Hard’s structure, experts suggest modifying the program to suit individual needs.
Variations like “75 Medium” and “75 Soft” have emerged that dial down the intensity with fewer workouts, more relaxed diets and simpler habit targets designed to be more sustainable.
The 75 Hard challenge has gained widespread attention on TikTok and Instagram, where participants document their progress. (iStock)
“A softer start lowers the activation energy for behavior change [and] reduces all‑or‑nothing thinking,” Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told USA Today.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The approach can reduce the risk of injury, exhaustion and people quitting altogether, Stanford said.
“I think people are realizing it’s OK to be gentle with yourself,” Morgan Manning, a 26-year-old media and marketing professional from New York City, told USA Today.
Softer fitness challenges build in rest days and flexibility to reduce burnout and injury risk. (iStock)
Her TikTok video announcing she was trying the “soft” version received over 60,000 views.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“These versions feel more human,” said Jesse Ramos Jr., a certified personal trainer and owner of BBT Fitness NYC. “They allow people to build discipline without burning out, getting injured or hating the process,” Ramos told Fox News Digital.
“Fitness shouldn’t feel like punishment,” he added.
Experts say long-term health comes from consistent, sustainable habits — not extreme challenges. (iStock)
Experts agree that consistency matters more than intensity when it comes to long-term weight loss and health.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Robin DeCicco, a certified holistic nutritionist from New York City, previously told Fox News Digital that she encourages clients to focus on sustainable habits like simply moving more, eating more whole foods and drinking more water than they were before, rather than following rigid rules.
“Healthy habits that change into long-term behaviors are what make people healthier into the future,” DeCicco said.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A simple lifestyle adjustment could potentially slow down the body’s biological aging process, according to new research.
The study, published in the journal Aging, investigated how a diet change and easy exercise regimen affected men between the ages of 50 and 74 over a three-month period.
Researchers designed a clinical trial involving 48 overweight men in Japan. Over a 12-week period, half of the participants followed a strictly structured wellness routine, while the other half maintained their usual habits.
DOCTORS SAY 8 FORGOTTEN HABITS COULD HELP FIGHT STRESS, OBESITY AND CHRONIC DISEASE
For the intervention group, the routine required consuming 100 grams of plain yogurt every day.
This group also received individualized dietary counseling that advised them to curb overeating, avoid excessive snacking and cut out sugary drinks.
A simple lifestyle adjustment could potentially slow down the body’s biological aging process, according to new research. (iStock)
They were also instructed to walk or use a stepper machine for roughly 30 minutes a day, at least three days each week.
To measure the impact of these changes, the scientists collected blood samples from all participants before and after the study, and also analyzed DNA for chemical changes that act as indicators of cellular age.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Specifically, they used a measurement tool called DunedinPACE. Rather than assessing a person’s chronological age in years, this tool calculates the precise rate at which an individual’s body is currently aging.
The men who consumed the probiotic yogurt, adjusted their diets and exercised showed a statistically significant reduction in their pace of aging compared to the control group, the researchers said.
The anti-aging benefits cannot be attributed to any single component on its own due to the variety in the study, the researchers noted. (iStock)
On average, the speed of their biological aging slowed by approximately 2.2%. This reduction is roughly comparable to the slowing of biological aging observed in a previous two-year U.S. study, in which participants reduced their daily calorie intake by 25%.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
This reduction in aging speed happened independently of weight loss , meaning it did not directly correlate with changes in the participants’ body mass index or the exact number of exercise sessions they logged.
The researchers also recorded a noticeable improvement in a specific DNA marker that is linked to kidney function.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Because this study combined three distinct factors — probiotics, diet and exercise — the authors concluded that the anti-aging benefits cannot be attributed to any single component. Instead, the slowed aging rate appears to be the result of a combined effect.
The reduction in aging speed happened independently of weight loss, the study found. (iStock)
The researchers also acknowledged clear limitations of the study, including its small sample size and short duration. Also, the participant pool was restricted to overweight men of a single nationality.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
More research is needed to determine whether these short-term biological shifts can translate into permanent, long-term health benefits, the study stated.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The simple act of noting how fast your heart is beating while you’re at rest may be the key to measuring your overall health.
Resting heart rate is defined by Mayo Clinic as the number of times your heart beats each minute while you’re awake, calm and not moving.
A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute for adults. A slower resting heart rate means the heart does not have the work as heard to pump blood through the body — something typical of someone who is more fit.
LATEST COVID VACCINE MAY HAVE UNEXPECTED HEALTH BENEFIT, STUDY SUGGESTS
Athletes who are very fit may have a resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute, according to Mayo Clinic.
Your resting heart rate can vary due to a variety of factors, including age, physical activity levels, sleep health, smoking, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, stress, anxiety, hormones, body type and certain medications.
A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute for adults, according to medical experts. (iStock)
But a resting heart rate that’s often too high or too low may signal a health issue.
WEEKLY WEIGHTLIFTING SWEET SPOT MAY BE LINKED TO LONGER LIFE, STUDY SAYS
A high resting heart rate, even if it’s slight, is usually a sign that something else may be going on in the body, such as anemia, an infection or a thyroid problem, according to Cleveland Clinic.
A high resting heart rate, even if it’s slight, is usually a sign that something else may be going on in the body. (iStock)
If your heart rate is regularly above 100 beats per minute, this is a sign to talk with your heart care provider.
The same advice applies if you are not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is frequently below 60 beats per minute.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Talk to your doctor if other symptoms such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath occur.
How to measure your heart rate
You can check your own heart rate by tracking your pulse on your wrist or neck. The best time of day to measure resting heart rate is first thing in the morning, says Mayo Clinic.
Place your index and middle fingers inside the wrist below the thumb, to feel the radial artery; or, do so on the side of the neck, to feel the carotid artery.
Place your index and middle fingers on the side of the neck, to feel the carotid artery — and count how many beats per minute. (iStock)
Count the number of times your pulse beats in 15 seconds, then multiply this number by four to calculate beats per minute.
Wearable devices can also detect and track resting heart rate, although this may not always be accurate.
How to lower your heart rate
If your resting heart rate is higher than normal, there are a few ways to work toward lowering it.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Vigorous exercise is “the best way” to lower your resting heart rate and increase the heart’s aerobic capacity and max heart rate, according to Harvard.
For those who don’t exercise regularly, it’s important to work your way up in difficulty when following a new workout routine.
Vigorous exercise is “the best way” to lower your resting heart rate, Harvard Health says. But it’s vital to work your way up carefully. (iStock)
Some medications, such as beta blockers, can also lower heart rate. In the same way, managing stress through holistic methods such as meditation or yoga can also help.
Cleveland Clinic also recommends cutting back on harmful substances such as drugs and alcohol, which can dehydrate you and raise your heart rate.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Adequate sleep can also help bring your heart rate down, in addition to maintaining a healthy weight.
Cardiologist Tamanna Singh, M.D., shared with Cleveland Clinic that lowering your heart rate takes time as various lifestyle changes kick in.
Managing stress through holistic methods such as meditation or yoga can help lower your resting heart rate,
“Just like building your biceps and triceps, it takes time for your heart to become stronger,” the doctor said.
Singh recommended focusing on heart rate patterns rather than dialing in on just the number.
Take note of how your heart rate changes after eating certain foods, when you’re dehydrated or after you’ve begun a new exercise or stress management routine.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“If you notice that your heart rate is consistently over 100, mention it to your doctor, especially if you’ve tried making lifestyle changes and they don’t seem to be working,” she said.
“Your resting heart rate isn’t the be-all, end-all of your health, but it’s definitely a marker that you should pay attention to.”
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour agoNew details emerge in fatal stabbing of boy in El Monte
-
Detroit, MI2 hours ago1 dead, 1 injured after two-vehicle crash at Collingwood and Belleterre in Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours ago4 arrested, 3 cited after brawl following Giants vs. Rockies game at Oracle Park
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoMark Cuban takes legal action against Dallas Mavericks ownership over potential new arena deal
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoSouth Florida Dirt: A timeline of the Vacchi vs. Stern legal battle
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoTall Ships begin historic Boston parade of sails
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoLakers Proposed to Land Peyton Watson in Massive 9-Player Blockbuster Trade
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoCyclists fill backroads for annual summer Seattle-to-Portland ride
