Experts have warned against attempting a new viral fitness challenge that involves going to the gym twice a day and drinking extreme amounts of water to optimize fitness levels in just two and a half months.
The ’75-Hard’ challenge has taken social media by storm, with over a million video clips shared by users documenting their experience with the diet and exercise regimen.
Created by American author and podcaster Andy Frisella in 2019, the strict plan is said to trigger “physical and mental transformations” through its five key elements.
The most important thing is two 45-minute workouts per day, which may be “whatever you need to do based on your fitness level,” according to Frisella’s website.
Participants must also drink eight pints (4.5 litres) of water a day, give up alcohol, eat a generally healthy diet and spend at least 10 minutes a day reading non-fiction, to benefit mental fitness.
But experts have warned that the plan is not only unrealistic – meaning participants are unlikely to stick to it – but could lead to serious health problems.
Drinking more than two liters of water a day without intensive exercise could affect the intricate balance of salts in the body, causing a variety of distressing symptoms such as low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting and muscle spasms.
In the worst case, the problem can cause seizures and even coma.
“If you drink too much water, you become overhydrated and suffer from hyponatremia, which is when your salt concentration becomes too low,” said Professor Peter Watt, an expert in sports and exercise science at the University of Brighton.
‘This can cause other problems with blood pressure and general health.
‘Drinking a gallon of water is extreme. Even two liters a day is probably not essential for maintaining fluids.
The NHS recommends drinking around two liters (six to eight glasses) of fluid a day, and more if you exercise or in hot weather.
But social media users have touted the benefits of the plan, with one woman claiming it helped her lose more than two kilos and others saying it “transformed” their relationship with food.
Frisella, the founder of the challenge, states on his website that the 75-Hard challenge is the “only program that can permanently change your life, from the way you think to the level of discipline with which you approach every task in front of you.” “. .’
Sharing spectacular before-and-after images documenting how the plan increased his muscle tone, he emphasized that “the mental changes are 100 times greater than the physical changes.”
Frisella, the founder of the challenge, shared his own before and after images, but claimed the real benefit came from his “mental” changes.
On its website, it claims that those who took the challenge became “better leaders at work,” “have increased their income,” and have taken “full control of their lives.”
Two people who completed the challenge also shared their experience via social media.
Devamsha Gunput, 29, from Edinburgh, who completed 75-Hard last March while working full-time as a digital consultant, told the bbc the challenge was “uncomfortable.”
But this has meant that he now exercises more regularly and has “transformed” his relationship with food.
Sophie Deakins, 27, also completed 75-Hard last year while working as an assistant manager at a London cinema.
She said the challenge helped her change her way of thinking and boosted her confidence.
Strength and conditioning coach Tana von Zitzewitz said those considering doing the workout challenge will need a lot of extra time, making it difficult to complete.
Experts are divided on whether this viral extreme fitness regimen will actually help you achieve your fitness goals, suggesting it might be too much for one day.
“There is a lot of pressure for people to transform their lives at this time of year,” he told the BBC.
He suggested that those looking to start a new exercise routine should choose a plan that is less strict and inflexible and more enjoyable.
Meanwhile, NHS GP Sam Whiteman said 75-Hard is unlikely to provide greater benefits than any other healthy eating and fitness plan.
“If it’s a question of whether this is better than going to the gym three times a week or going for a run once a week and eating healthy, then I’m not sure,” he told the BBC.
The new year is no stranger to new trends related to health and fitness.
The regimen follows other extreme fitness fads, such as burning 600 calories in 60 minutes and the 100 rep challenge, which involves performing 100 reps of a single exercise every day for a month.
The Covid pandemic caused an explosion on social media of a fitness challenge called “everesting”, in which participants climbed hills to a height of 8,848 metres, the same elevation as Mount Everest.
Some people bike, run, or participate in a relay to finish the mammoth task.
The NHS recommends that adults aged 19 to 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.
This could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Alternatively, you can do 75 minutes of intense, vigorous activity per week.
He suggests doing a combination of strengthening activities, such as yoga, weight lifting or carrying heavy shopping bags, moderate activity that increases your heart rate, such as brisk walking or bicycling, and vigorous activity such as running or swimming.