Fitness trends come and go on social media, but one that seems to have stood the test of time is 75 Hard. Just in time for the new year, the challenge – which sees people follow a set of diet, exercise and self-development rules for 75 days – has once again taken over TikTok.

Taking part in a challenge can be appealing when you’re first trying to forge a new fitness habit; after all, having a good plan and some tangible goals is a great way to stay motivated. But 75 Hard takes things to the extreme, and the emphasis it places on a physical ‘transformation’ (participants are encouraged to take ‘progress’ photos every day of the challenge) isn’t necessarily healthy.

And all of that got us thinking – are short-term health and fitness challenges a good idea, and how can you tell the difference between a good one and a bad one? We asked a personal trainer to weigh in.

Whether or not short-term fitness challenges can be beneficial will depend on the nature of the challenge. Extreme challenges like 75 Hard are not only difficult to complete, but they can also be detrimental to your health and wellbeing, which is the exact opposite of what they’re designed to do.

“Doing two 45-minute workouts a day, like in the 75 Hard challenge, is ridiculous and unsustainable,” says Emma Simarro, a personal trainer and founder of Building Body Confidence. “These challenges are designed to give quick results, but with this comes the question of what’s next. Such quick results are only achieved through short-term fixes and not sustainable, long-term habits.”

Your chance of failure also increases with a more intense challenge (doing pilates every day is doable, but doing pilates every day on top of a myriad of other rules requires a lot more effort and discipline), which can be hugely demotivating. This is just one of the reasons why beginners should approach these kinds of challenges with caution, Simarro adds. 

“Many become disillusioned when the results slow down or struggle to maintain consistency, and they end up giving up altogether,” she says. “There’s also a danger of injury, especially for those who are new to exercise and go from doing nothing to something so extreme. It is always safer and advisable to build fitness over time.”

The emphasis placed on physical transformation – the most popular way to track progress during these short-term challenges – can also be detrimental, Simarro adds. “There’s a tendency to emphasise the results as opposed to all of the benefits exercise brings, and this can exacerbate disordered and negative thinking about our bodies and using exercise as a means to change them.” 

There are certainly benefits to be found from setting yourself a goal and sticking to it; the sense of achievement alone can provide a high that lasts for ages. Doing pilates every day, walking a set number of steps or following a multi-week training plan (such as Couch To 5K) can be hugely beneficial and effective.

“These challenges can be a great introduction to a fitness journey,” Simarro says. “They can help to build habits that, over time, become the foundation of long-term lifestyle changes.”

Depending on the nature of the challenge, they can also offer a variety of health-related benefits, such as improved fitness, more sleep and increased energy levels. The key is finding a challenge that will put you out of your comfort zone but won’t set you up to fail. 

If you fancy taking on a challenge, how can you identify whether it’ll be good for you? Some key red flags to look out for include any challenge that asks you to drastically cut your calorie intake (especially if it’s asking you to exercise a lot) or push on through injury.

Beginners should also be wary of any challenge that promises quick results, Simarro adds. “Something that promises fast results with extreme measures certainly isn’t suitable for beginners,” she says. “The risk of it being unsustainable and increasing your chance of injury are high, and this is when we see people flit from challenge to challenge, not make any progress, and then blame themselves for it not working.”

Positive challenges should encourage sustainable changes, such as increasing your activity levels at a gradual rate or eating a balanced and nutritious diet as opposed to a strict regime.

So, next time you’re thinking of taking on a challenge, stop and consider whether the quick results you’re being promised are going to come at the expense of your wellbeing. Looking after your health and wellbeing shouldn’t feel like punishment, and if the ‘results’ being offered are going to come at the expense of your happiness, then it’s certainly not worth it. 

Images: Getty