Level Up With the 75 Medium Challenge

If the 75 Hard Challenge is too intense and the 75 Soft seems too forgiving, there’s now a middle-ground option trending on social media.

“75 Medium is designed to be accessible,” says sports medicine physician Michael Dakkak, DO. “It focuses on many of the same principles as 75 Hard and 75 Soft, but it’s achievable for the average person.”

Dr. Dakkak explains how it works and why it may be right for you.

What is the 75 Medium Challenge?

The 75 Medium Challenge is a 75-day self-improvement lifestyle program designed to help you build healthier habits through consistent exercise, nutrition and personal development.

Unlike the 75 Hard Challenge — which requires you to follow a list of strict, non-negotiable rules — 75 Medium allows for some planned flexibility. The idea is to encourage consistency without demanding perfection.

“It helps to be flexible and forgiving when you’re trying to make significant lifestyle changes,” reiterates Dr. Dakkak. “You can get really consistent, achievable results without having to feel restricted. For a lot of people, that’s what makes this challenge more reasonable.”

Rules

There isn’t one official version of the 75 Medium Challenge, so exact rules can vary. But most versions follow a similar framework built around making positive improvements to your physical, mental and emotional health.

Here are some common 75 Medium Challenge rules to consider.

Exercise for 45 to 60 minutes a day

Most versions of 75 Medium call for one daily workout that lasts 45 to 60 minutes. That’s a notable difference from 75 Hard, which requires two 45-minute workouts every day, one of which needs to be outdoors.

“Daily movement is a cornerstone of these challenges,” says Dr. Dakkak. “But there’s generally more flexibility around how and where you exercise with 75 Medium.”

What you do for physical activity is also entirely up to you. You can go for a walk. Swim. Bike. Take a hike through the woods. The key is just to be consistent with physical fitness.

“You can build yourself up to 45 minutes by starting out with a daily stretch routine or just 15 minutes of exercise,” he suggests. “If your goal is to make healthy improvements over the course of 75 days, it’s safest to start with what you know you can do and build yourself up from there.”

Follow a structured nutritional plan 90% of the time

Most 75 Medium plans encourage balanced eating while limiting:

• Alcohol
• Added sugars
• Highly processed foods

Unlike the 75 Hard Challenge, 75 Medium allows for the occasional indulgence — a steak to celebrate important milestones, a piece of your favorite pie after a tough day.

“If you’re following your plan 90% of the time, it’s OK to look forward to a reward the other 10% of the time,” notes Dr. Dakkak. “When you build rewards into the 75 Medium Challenge, you don’t feel guilty about ‘failing,’ and you’re able to stay motivated for longer.”

Drink plenty of water

The 75 Medium Challenge usually includes a daily hydration goal, though it’s much less rigid than 75 Hard’s one-gallon-a-day requirement. How much water you need varies, but the key is making sure you’re drinking water throughout the day.

“The goal isn’t simply to check this off your to-do list,” Dr. Dakkak points out. “It’s to build a habit of prioritizing healthy choices, like hydration, throughout the day.”

Make time for personal development

This challenge also encourages you to improve your mental and emotional health — because when these areas of your life decline, your physical health can also take a hit (and vice versa).

“When you’re in a better mental state — with less anxiety, less chaos and less unpredictability — you start to experience other improvements, too, like better sleep, faster recovery and more interest in doing the things you love,” Dr. Dakkak says.

Most 75 Medium Challenges include a daily personal-growth component and about 10 to 20 minutes of self-reflection and mindfulness. During this time, you can:

• Meditate.
• Journal.
• Read or listen to something inspirational.
• Pray.

“Mental health affects everything you do and how you do it,” he emphasizes. “If you’re trying to build long-term healthy habits, strong mental health helps you get to the finish line.”

Track your progress

While 75 Hard requires daily progress photos, 75 Medium takes the pressure off by letting you decide how you want to track your successes.

“If you’re struggling with body image, it might be healthier to use habit trackers or journaling to document changes in how you feel versus how you look,” Dr. Dakkak recommends. “Progress photos are a tool, not a requirement.”

Some fitness trackers can do the work for you automatically, too. That way, you can pick and choose when it’s healthy or beneficial to look at all the progress you’re making.

Benefits

The appeal of 75 Medium is that it balances structure with flexibility. That combination may benefit you by:

• Helping you build consistent habits: A 75-day commitment encourages repetition, which can help healthy choices become routine.
• Allowing room for real life: Life happens. 75 Medium acknowledges that you’re going to have “good” and “bad” days, and it’s OK to reset and reframe your goals as needed.
• Supporting mental wellness: Activities like reading or meditating can help reduce stress, create clarity and improve your ability to stay focused on your goals.

Risks

Like any fitness challenge, 75 Medium may bring some risks, such as:

• Overdoing it on exercise, especially if you’re not used to daily workouts
• Ignoring injuries or physical limitations in an effort to stay on track
• Feeling discouraged, guilty or ashamed if you miss a day or fall behind
• Becoming overly focused on weight or body image
• Choosing rules that disrupt treatments or worsen medical conditions

“Programs like 75 Medium should improve your quality of life, not take it over,” says Dr. Dakkak.

If you experience pain or feel like something isn’t working, pause what you’re doing and make an appointment with a sports medicine specialist or physical therapist. They can help you figure out a way forward.

How to start the 75 Medium Challenge

Interested in trying 75 Medium? Dr. Dakkak recommends taking a thoughtful approach with the following guidelines:

• Define your goals. Are you hoping to improve fitness? Lose weight? Build resilience? Understanding your goals can help create a program you love.
• Assess your current habits. If you’re not currently exercising, meditating or eating healthy, jumping right in might feel overwhelming. Where are you right now?
• Start small. You don’t have to master everything on day one. “If there are five components and you can realistically do three, start there,” advises Dr. Dakkak.
• Build your framework. Think about when, where and how you’ll complete each part of the challenge. Write down your plan, track your progress and adjust if needed.
• Reset the clock if you want to. “Don’t feel like you have to start over with 75 Medium,” urges Dr. Dakkak. “Instead, make small adjustments until you find out what works well for you.”

Healthy changes can last a lifetime, if you let them. And for many people, 75 Medium offers just that — an opportunity to create a healthier lifestyle that’s sustainable and encouraging.