Everything You Need to Know about the 75 Soft Challenge
Reach your health goals, but make it fun and actually realistic.
by KATE JACKSON ★ APRIL 26, 2023
I’m sure many of you have heard all about the “75 hard” challenge through a famous Instagram influencer, extreme athlete, or a random TikTok. But for me, I haven't been able to escape the much less restrictive and realistic “75-day soft” challenge. It has been all over my fyp for the past couple of weeks. At first, I was skeptical because many of these viral fitness treads are either impossible or not worthwhile. However, my roommate and I’s curiosity and desire to spice up our spring routines, led us to give it a shot. So far it has been a super reasonable way to stay focused on our mental and physical health through this last stretch of the spring semester. It also allows for attainable goal setting and if you start now, you’ll be done right in time for summer. I have grown to love the 75 soft through my experience thus far and maybe, after I explain how to implement it into your life, you will be hooked too.
Eat Well.
You may be wondering what “eat well” implies, but that's the beauty of 75 soft, you get to choose. This rule does not involve extreme diets or restricting entire food groups. Instead, eating better can just mean cutting out sweets and junk or fast food, as me and my roommate did. It’s already challenging enough to keep track of meals in college, but the 75 soft is perfect because it stresses nutritional food over potentially harmful diets.
Be active for 45 minutes a day every day, with one day of active recovery.
With a college schedule, going to the gym every day can be an impossible task. On the bright side, your 45-minute workout can consist of literally walking to class, biking, running, swimming, or any other activity which forces you to move in some form. If you do not have the time for a workout every day, then you can cut it down to five days a week, do two-a-day, or alter it to fit your schedule in some other way. The main goal is to remain consistent for the entire 75-day stretch so that you can realistically adopt and stick to these healthy habits.
Drink 3 liters of water.
Surprisingly, this rule has actually been one of the hardest for me to follow just because I am a relatively forgetful person (and I’d choose coffee over water any day). So sometimes I have to be consistent in reminding myself to drink water in class, with meals, and other times throughout the day. Once you get into the habit, though, it’s really not a big inconvenience and is an easy way to stay energized, maintain clear skin, and increase overall well-being.
Read 10 pages of a book.
I love to read and have neglected to keep up with it in college, so this aspect of the challenge was exciting to me. Having said that, my roommate opted out of this part and I can understand why others would want to, too. Although reading is a helpful de-stressor for me, that's not true for everyone so it is completely fine to make an exception. Unlike 75 hard which forces you to read inspirational non-fiction every day, the 75 soft allows you to read whatever you want; anything from an enticing romance novel by Colleen Hoover to a nonfiction book assigned by your English teacher, it doesn't matter!
Overall the 75 soft is super malleable to your lifestyle and is an amazing way to keep motivated with summer just right around the corner. Although the challenge is a way to kick-start getting in shape for bikini season, it also encourages you to adopt healthy habits and stick to them. So, if you are looking for a way to develop healthy routines I genuinely suggest giving the 75 soft a shot. If you have a friend to join with and motivate you, that makes it all the more fun. Who knows, the 75 soft may surprise you, I know it surprised me!