Seventy-five days. Two workouts every day. No alcohol. No cheat meals. A gallon of water. Ten pages of reading. And, if you miss even one requirement, you're back to day one.

Welcome to 75 Hard.

The program has been around for years, but it's catching people's attention all over again.

Creator Andy Frisella doesn't describe 75 Hard as a fitness challenge. He calls it a "mental toughness program" designed to build discipline, confidence, and grit.

For some, that rigid structure may be what makes the challenge appealing.

But, when it comes to our overall health, is harder necessarily better?

What Does 75 Hard Require?

The rules aren't complicated. Following all of them for 75 consecutive days is the hard part.

Participants must:

• Follow a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol

• Complete two separate 45-minute workouts every day, with at least one outdoors

• Drink a gallon of water

• Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book

• Take a daily progress photo

There's no day off.

If you miss any of the requirements, the official rules say you have to go back to day one.

Andy says that this all-or-nothing approach is fundamental to his program. 

The goal is to prove that you can make a commitment and see it through, even when it's hard or inconvenient.

There Are Some Healthy Habits in the Mix

It's easy to understand why 75 Hard has found an audience.

It encourages people to:

• Exercise regularly

• Read every day

• Cut out alcohol

• Pay attention to nutrition

• Stay hydrated

For someone who thrives with structure, specific tasks may be motivating. 

People also choose their own workouts and diet, so there's some flexibility within the strict framework. 

Even walking counts as a workout.

The question isn't whether the individual parts of 75 Hard are beneficial. It's whether everyone needs quite so much of them.

Two Workouts a Day Is a Lot of Exercise

Two 45-minute workouts add up to 90 minutes of exercise every day, or 10.5 hours each week.

For someone who's already active, that may be manageable. For someone jumping off the couch and heading straight into 75 Hard, that’s a different proposition.

Our bodies need a break sometimes, too. Without enough recovery time, exhaustion can set in, workouts can become harder, and injuries may be more likely.

The official program tells people to talk to their doctor before beginning and warns against exercising outside if conditions are unsafe.

There's a difference between challenging ourselves and ignoring signals that our bodies need rest.

A Gallon of Water Isn't Right for Everyone

Then, there's the water.

A gallon works out to 128 ounces, or roughly 3.8 liters, every day.

Hydration matters, especially when we're exercising. 

But, our water needs can vary, based on things like:

• Body size

• Activity level

• Climate

• Diet

• Medications

• Health conditions

Drinking excessive amounts of water can also become dangerous because it can dilute sodium levels in the blood, a condition known as hyponatremia.

A universal gallon-a-day target, then, deserves a little more thought than simply carrying around an enormous bottle all day.

The All-or-Nothing Rule May Be the Hardest Part

Perhaps the most interesting part of 75 Hard isn't the exercise or the one-gallon jug.

It's the idea that one missed task wipes the slate clean.

That makes sense within Andy’s stated goal of teaching consistency without compromise. But, sustainable behavior change doesn't necessarily require perfection.

Cleveland Clinic points to 75 Medium as a more flexible alternative, with room for rest, personalized goals, and the occasional slip-up.

The idea is that a little flexibility may make healthy habits easier to stick with over time.

That doesn't make 75 Hard wrong. It just raises a question about the overarching goal.

There's a Middle Ground

The popularity of gentler versions suggests that plenty of people like the idea of a 75-day reset, just not all the original rules.

75 Soft relaxed the challenge even more, while 75 Medium lives somewhere between the two.

There's no official version of 75 Medium, but common versions call for:

• One daily workout

• A structured nutrition plan

• A personalized hydration goal

• Some form of progress tracking

Most importantly, missing one requirement doesn't send you back to day one.

That may not satisfy someone looking to test their mental toughness. 

But, if you’re hoping to create habits that survive past day 75, that flexibility may be a feature, rather than a flaw.

Hard Doesn't Always Mean Healthy

There's nothing wrong with a challenge.

For the right person, 75 Hard may provide the structure and sense of accomplishment they're looking for.

For someone else, two daily workouts and an unforgiving restart rule may turn healthy habits into another source of pressure.

Before beginning any demanding fitness program, consider your current fitness level, health, schedule, and what you're hoping to accomplish.

Seventy-five days can certainly change a routine. But, the bigger question is whether you’ll want to keep any of that routine on day 76.

Looking for stories that inform and engage? From breaking headlines to fresh perspectives, WaveNewsToday has more to explore.