What is the 75 Soft Challenge?

If you've been online anywhere at all in the last few years you've probably noticed the popularity of 75 Day Fitness challenges. At first there was the 75 Day Hard Challenge, then later someone introduced the 75 Soft Challenge. What is the 75 Soft Challenge? It's a 75 day holistic health and fitness challenge designed to increase mental toughness. It's a gentler version of the 75 Hard Challenge, and one I think is better and more realistic for most people, especially busy moms.

A 75 Soft Challenge Checklist was one of my earlier health and fitness printables I created.

what is the 75 soft challenge? Picture of a water bottle and a set of dumbbells to represent the workout portion of the 75 soft challenge.

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Should You do the 75 Soft Challenge?

If you're looking to step up your consistency in working out, eating right, drinking enough water, and reading regularly, this might be just the thing for you. To me it seems perfect for all of us busy moms who are already juggling a lot of tasks, but know it's important to put a healthy amount of self-care a little higher on our list of priorities.

Whether you are trying to get into a fitness routine for the first time or want a gentle way to re-enter one, this could be a great path for you. It's terrific if you want to give yourself a bit of a challenge, but not so big that you drop out too easily. Need a little more--but not too much--challenge, you should definitely consider this.

I first came across the 75 Soft Challenge while doing product research for my Wellness and Workouts Etsy shop. And I fell in love with the idea right away! You can use the challenge just as it is written, or in the spirit of reinventing a challenge, you can create your own rules and make a custom challenge. That's my favorite idea!

75 soft challenge, picture of a woman working out with dumbbells on a stability ball

What is the 75 Soft Challenge?

As I mentioned on my page about my 75 Soft Challenge Checklist, it was created by a lifestyle site called The Pohhu Experience, and popularized by a TikTok trend inspired by Stephen Gallagher. The 75 Soft Challenge is a tweaked version of the 75 Hard Challenge, which was created by podcaster Andy Frisella. (You can read more about it on my 75 Day Hard Challenge Checklist page.)

The 75 Soft is intended to be a mental toughness challenge, rather than a weight loss or fitness challenge, according to its creator. But you may find that your fitness levels improve, and perhaps you will lose some fat. You will very likely find an improvement in your mood and energy, depending on the choices you make.

While it is somewhat easier than the 75 Hard Challenge (and the 75 Medium Challenge--someone named Amy Bernhard created one by that name, too!), it is still NOT necessarily an easy challenge.

75 soft, picture of a water bottle, dumbbells, and a rolled up towel

75 Soft Challenge Rules

The 75 Soft Challenge has a short list of daily rules that are somewhat flexible, and of course you follow it for 75 days to complete it.

Why it works for busy moms

Though some busy moms are able to succeed with the 75 Hard Challenge (I think Jennifer Roskamp, a home educating mom of many, has. She blogs at theintentionalmom.com), I think the Soft Challenge is a more realistic version of the 75 Day Challenge for many of us. In my opinion it's more flexible (especially if you customize it with your own rules). It's more realistic for me, that's for sure. I truly think that in most cases it is better for:

the real world of many busy moms
family life
mental health (there is grace to start over if you mess up)
physical health (it's less likely you will overtrain with this challenge)
fitting in with many women's busy schedules

what is 75 soft, picture of a water bottle on a towel, with dumbbells in the background

Getting Started

First do your homework. Read about the challenge. Decide if you want to follow the rules as written, or if you will make your own customized rules.

Then, make the commitment.

Choose your nutrition plan.
Select a workout regimen--here are some quick workouts to try, and some fat loss workouts, if that interests you
Find the book(s) you want to read--here's a favorite book of mine that I read daily!
Plan times in your daily schedule when you will work out, do meal prep, read, etc.
Find a 75 Soft Challenge Checklist, digital tracker or app to help keep you motivated
Tell your family your plan, so they can hopefully support you
Get some accountability from others who understand your goals and are willing to give moral support.

Making it Work for You

Again, if you feel the need to customize the rules, just do it. There's no shame in it. Maybe you need to make a rule more challenging. Maybe less. Either way, if you adjust it to your real needs, you will be more likely to succeed.

Also, do get a 75 Soft Challenge Checklist or Custom Tracker of some sort. This kind of thing, though simple, can be incredibly motivating! I've designed a few you can choose from, you can read more about them here, or just go the the sales page for them in my Wellness and Workouts Etsy Shop.

Remember, as you have days when you may "mess up" a little, you need to shoot for progress, not perfection. If you fall off track, just get right back on and keep going. Avoid an all-or-nothing, defeatist approach.

75 day soft, picture of an athletic woman holding a racquet

Conclusion

What is the 75 Soft Challenge? If you've been thinking of starting, getting back into, or changing up a regular fitness routine, consider giving the 75 Soft Challenge a try. You can definitely do this!