What Is the 75 Soft Challenge & How Do You Do It?

• The 75 Soft Challenge is a lifestyle program that encourages implementing more healthy habits into your daily routine.
• The rules are simple: eat well, drink less alcohol, exercise daily, drink more water, and read.
• To get the most out of the challenge, take some time to reflect on what you hope to gain from it.

What is the 75 Soft Challenge?

75 Soft Challenge is a wellness trend that helps you change your lifestyle. This challenge is a simpler and relatively easier alternative to TikTok’s famous 75 Hard Challenge. With both challenges, the goal is to improve your general well-being by implementing healthy daily habits for 75 days. The goal is to make the habits of the challenge a part of your daily routine after the program is over. Think of it like a crash course for your overall health. The program helps you prioritize taking care of yourself.

75 Soft Challenge Rules

Eat a healthy diet and limit alcohol to social occasions. Being mindful of what you eat is one of the first steps to a healthy lifestyle. Picking more whole foods and limiting the number of processed foods you eat can help you live longer, grow muscle, boost immunity, and maintain weight. The goal of 75 Soft isn’t to lose weight, but it could be one of the many benefits. Rather than focusing on a diet that’ll help you lose weight, focus on eating foods that make you feel good physically and mentally.

Train for 45 minutes every day, with 1 day of active recovery per week. Daily exercise is a great way to improve your mood, energy, sleep, and overall health. The 75 Soft Challenge encourages you to start implementing daily movement into your life, leaving 1 day for active recovery each week. Move your body in a way you enjoy, and see how much stronger you feel.

Drink 3 liters (100 fl oz) of water a day. Water makes up over 50% of your body weight, so it’s no wonder that staying hydrated helps you feel your best! Experts recommend drinking 11 to 16 cups (2.6 to 3.8 L) of water a day. Just make sure to drink more if you feel thirsty, are exercising, or are in a hot environment. Swap at least one sugary drink a day with a glass of water to get yourself in the habit of drinking more H20. Carry a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated while you’re out and about. Serve water instead of soda or juice at meals. Warning: Hydration needs will vary from person to person, and 3 L (100 fl oz) may be too much for one person. More is not always better—too much water can decrease electrolyte blood levels, particularly sodium, resulting in hyponatremia. Symptoms of hyponatremia include dizziness, headaches, nausea, mental confusion, lethargy, malaise, and fatigue, and the condition overall can result in hospitalization. Staying hydrated is a great goal to have, but increasing your hydration doesn't mean you have to hit 3 L (100 fl oz) of water to be healthy and fully hydrated.

Read 10 pages of any book each day. Believe it or not, reading can help you live longer. One study has shown that those who read for at least 30 minutes per day have a greater survival advantage than those who don’t. When you read, you’re thinking critically and being emotionally perceptive (even if you don’t realize it). Ultimately, reading makes you smarter and healthier. Read fiction or nonfiction—whatever you like best! Try swapping some of your screen time with reading. For instance, end the day with a chapter rather than a movie.

Why is the 75 Soft Challenge more realistic?

75 Soft is more realistic than 75 Hard because it’s more flexible. Unlike the 75 Hard Challenge, the 75 Soft Challenge involves minor lifestyle tweaks without public accountability. Both programs are challenging, but 75 Soft gives you a chance to slowly ease into a healthy lifestyle without restriction or added pressure. For instance, 75 Soft is diet-free and allows alcohol, whereas 75 Hard instructs participants to follow a diet and not drink alcohol. 75 Soft suggests exercising 6 days a week with 1 day of rest, while 75 Hard encourages working out every day twice a day. 3 litres (13 c) of water is suggested for 75 Soft, whereas 1 gallon (3.8 L) is the rule for 75 Hard. 75 Soft motivates participants to read 10 pages of any book daily, while 75 Hard suggests reading non-fiction only. 75 Hard challenges participants to post a progress photo of their body to social media every day, whereas 75 Soft skips this rule altogether. As always, do what’s best for you and your body. If you need firmer guidelines and public accountability, try 75 Hard. If you want to ease into implementing healthier, obtainable habits, stick with 75 Soft.

What to Consider Before Starting

Dietary restrictions and disordered eatingThe 75 Soft Challenge may not be for you if you have specific dietary needs or have a history of eating disorders. Focusing on “eating well” may be beneficial for some but harmful for others. Consider altering this goal to fit your needs if you’re following a guided nutrition plan or repairing your relationship with food. If this wording is worrisome or vague for you, focus on mindfulness and eating what makes you feel good (regardless of its “moral” value).

Physical abilitiesIf exercising every day isn’t available for you, alter 75 Soft’s rules. The challenge's goal is to start implementing healthy habits into your daily routine, so it’s okay to make a few tweaks here and there (especially if it’s to make the challenge more accessible for you). Make adaptations to the exercise program so it matches your physical abilities. For instance, start exercising every other day if you need a recovery day between workouts. Aim for 30 minutes of low-impact exercise like swimming or walking. Work at a gradual pace that works for you and your body, even if that means starting at 10 minutes of activity a day and working your way up to 45 minutes.

MindsetThere’s no denying that 75 Soft is a challenge—it’s in the name, after all! Before starting the program, ask yourself if you’re ready for it. Changing your lifestyle takes sacrifice and commitment. If you don’t have the will, you may not get the outcome you want. Take some time to do a bit of self-reflection by asking yourself these questions: Why do I want to do the 75 Soft Challenge? What do I want to get out of the challenge? What will be my biggest obstacle? What can motivate me to make it to day 75?