Eat a balanced diet, train twice for 45 minutes a day, read daily and drink 3 liters of water… This is the demanding program of the “75 Hard Challenge”, a 75-day challenge dedicated to a healthy lifestyle that is causing a sensation on TikTok. Many influencers are getting started, but the question remains: is this popular challenge tenable, reasonable, and above all, good for your health?
Neither one, nor two. Since the beginning of each year rhymes with good resolutions, Jade Lefrançois promised herself that 2025 would be the time for her to get out of her comfort zone. Since January 1, the 24-year-old from Bordeaux has launched into “the 75 hard challenge”, the famous 75-day challenge which is gaining popularity on Tiktok.
Every day, the young woman now imposes a particularly strict lifestyle on herself: a healthy diet, without any deviations or alcohol, two 45-minute sports sessions per day, one of which is outdoors, drinking 3 liters of water and at least 10 pages of reading per day.
A stoic lifestyle advocated on Tiktok
Unemployed for several weeks, Jade LeFrançois wanted to “kick her butt” at the start of the year:
“We quickly go around in circles when we don’t have to go to the office every morning,” relates the young woman, who feels more “bubbly, alert and dynamic” since she applied this rigorous discipline.
“I have time, so it’s an opportunity to punctuate my life with things that are good for me while documenting the beneficial effects of this challenge on my networks.” A winning bet, since her “75 hard challenge” videos allowed the young woman to go from 3,600 to more than 10,300 Tiktok subscribers in just a few days.
But is this impeccable lifestyle to be respected over a given period so healthy? The specialists, interviewed by BFMTV, are divided: Dr Emmanuel Debost, a sports doctor who practices in Côte d’Or, sees no disadvantage. “Twice 45 minutes of sport per day, that’s 1h30 of daily physical activity, it’s neither more nor less than what we recommend to our patients, in reality.”
“Our lifestyles today are so sedentary that I would not say no to someone who wants to take up sport with such regularity, as long as the intensity is progressive and adapted to their level”, however, qualifies the doctor. .
Constraints that are difficult to overcome
“Regular and varied sporting activity combined with good hydration and a healthy – and not draconian – diet seems to me to be an excellent way to get back into shape,” continues Dr Emmanuel Debost. “Physiologically, it’s perfectly sustainable, and it’s even more complete than ‘Dry January’ (another challenge which consists of not drinking a drop of alcohol during the month of January)!”
According to the specialist, there is no risk of overtraining by doing 1.5 hours of daily sport, as long as a good balance between cardio and muscle strengthening is ensured. Jade Lefrançois, for example, takes advantage of the challenge to discover new activities every day: yoga, walking, cycling, running, pilates…
“A little ‘walk or die’ side”
Everyone agrees that the most difficult thing is to manage to fit all these constraints into a schedule, especially when you work full time or have young children to care for. But Charly Aourir is more doubtful about this trend born on social networks. For the sports coach, “the challenge is not dangerous in itself but it seems too extreme and restrictive to be applicable as is”.
“It’s very beautiful in theory. I completely understand that the idea could be attractive on video, but for me it’s a trap in the sense that it is not sustainable in the long term for the majority of people. people”, continues this sport and nutrition expert.
In short, Charly Aourir does not recommend this type of challenge, “very American at heart” and far from suitable for everyone. According to him, “it is better to evaluate your current performance in a lucid manner and then gradually raise the level in terms of time, load or intensity, rather than wanting to set the bar too high from the start.” “What bothers me is the little ‘do or die’ aspect which discourages and leaves people who might want moderation aside,” adds the coach.
However, more flexible variations of the challenge have emerged on social media, dubbed the “75 Soft challenge” and “75 Medium challenge”, in which participants can consume an occasional drink of alcohol and an unhealthy meal while still continuing to exercise. exercise and reading.
Jeanne Bulant Journalist BFMTV
