Summer brought an abundance of time that opened up opportunities for students. Whether this was through a summer job, a chance to study for standardized tests or the best feeling of laying in bed all day, seniors Elizabeth Dreiling and Maya Waymire participated in a demanding program called 75 Hard. 

“75 Hard is a mental challenge to test self-discipline [and] grit, but it’s not only a physical challenge,” Dreiling said. “You have to do two 45-minute workouts a day — one outside — drink a gallon of water, read 10 pages of a self-help book a day, stick to some sort of diet, and take daily progress photos.”

Trending across various social media platforms, Dreiling first saw it on TikTok but didn’t ever think she’d do it because she was never consistent with exercise. However, after deciding to participate in the challenge, she convinced Waymire to do it with her.

“[75 Hard] is something that Elizabeth wanted to do, and it [was] a cool way to grow this summer,” Waymire said.

Starting in late May, the two friends began the program to hold each other responsible for maintaining their routines.

“[It was] a fun challenge to do over the summer since we [were] less busy,” Dreiling said. “We [kept] each other more accountable since we [hung] out every day.”

This intense program brought a plethora of benefits, both mentally and physically.

“It [helped] me be healthier and get into better habits for the next school year,” Waymire said. “I think it will make my lifestyle a lot better if I can actually keep up the habit.”

Dreiling said that it had other advantages as well.

“The main one is being physical and having self-discipline,” she said. “It also improves time management, consistency and perseverance.”

Maintaining the regimen for 75 days straight was incredibly difficult, but Dreiling believed she already had some of the habits down.

“My favorite part [was] the 45-minute workout, which [was] also the hardest at the same time,” Dreiling said. “I tend to already workout that long every day, but when I [was] at the lake with my family, it [was] difficult to get myself to [exercise] and be able to focus and get it done.

75 Hard was even more daunting for the pair because of the rule about restarting at Day 1 if a day is skipped.

“[The worst part was] making sure I’m being kept accountable for doing everything every day,” Waymire said.

As for Dreiling, the hardest part was the strict diet that she had to follow.

“I already have a limited diet because of an autoimmune disease, so I can’t eat dairy, gluten, soy, added sugar, sodium nitrates, saccharine and most processed food,” she said. “But I [was] really busy with school and I started eating more things that were more processed and had sugar, so I [was] hoping that since it’s summer, I [would be] able to finally get back on track.”

Although a little fearful of the tough challenge, the two seniors were set on completing the strenuous 75-day regimen.

“I [was] really excited to get started, especially since I [would] be doing it with my friends,” Dreiling said. “I [thought that] it [would] be a good way for me to start the summer off.”