It’s nearly impossible to scroll social media without coming across some kind of buzzy health or fitness challenge. Many of them tend to be very rigid, like 75 Hard (where you do two workouts a day, drink 3.5 litres of water every day, and follow a specific diet), which can make wellness unsustainable.
But over the past couple months, the 30 Realistic challenge has made waves as a softer alternative to some of those more intense wellness and self-improvement challenges. Created by Kelly Matthews, CPT, a strength and conditioning coach with Ladder, the challenge involves doing a hard workout (heavy lifting, long run, challenging fitness class lasting 45 minutes or more) at least two days a week, and walking 7,500 steps on the other days, for 30 days.
Meet the experts: Kelly Matthews, CPT, is a strength and conditioning coach with Ladder based in Texas. Erica Coviello, CPT, is a level 2 certified RRCA running coach and the owner of Run Fit Stoked in New Jersey. Lindsey Bomgren, CPT, is the founder of Nourish Move Love in Minnesota.
There are also nutrition and self-care components: consume 100 grams of protein, 25 grams of fibre, and two litres of water every day, set a strict bedtime, and only use social media for as long as you read that day (if you read for an hour, you can scroll for an hour, for instance). If you don’t stick to any of these tasks, the recommendation is to start over from the beginning of the 30 days.
Matthews designed the challenge to help people sustainably build healthy habits, especially in comparison to 75 Hard. ‘I’m in the business of helping people build confidence and self-worth,’ she says. ‘I thought if I could harness the power of accountability and repetition while making the guidelines challenging but achievable, the outcome would be far more positive.’ Although she launched it at the start of the year, 30 Realistic is a great way to reset at any point.
Here’s how to make the 30 Realistic challenge work for you, according to fitness pros.
1. First, tailor the plan to your body
The nutrition rules of 30 Realistic aren’t far off from the current recommendations: Women ages 18 and older should consume 30 grams of fibre per day, according to the NHS. For protein, experts generally recommend eating 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight (0.55 gram per pound) for tissue growth, which is about 30 to 35 grams per meal.
Still, these guidelines may not work for everyone, so when it comes to how much protein and fibre you should eat, take your activity levels, size, body composition, and fitness goals into consideration, says Coviello. For instance, those who work out more intensely may need more protein to build muscle. You can figure out your ideal protein and fibre targets by talking with a registered dietitian or using a free macros calculator (like this one).
The same idea applies to the exercise recs: First, you should set a progress goal to ‘help you show up on the days you’re not so motivated,’ says Lindsey Bomgren, CPT, founder of Nourish Move Love. Then, the workouts you complete during 30 Realistic should tie back to that goal. So, if you want to be able to do 10 consecutive pushups, focus on upper-body strength workouts, and if you want to run your first 5k, check out some training plans.
2. Then, start slowly
It’s important in a challenge like this one to not bite off more than you can chew – it can be overwhelming to make a ton of changes all at once, and there’s less of a chance of burnout if you start slowly. ‘Maybe you only pick two to three rules and try them for a week or two before jumping in full throttle,’ Coviello says.
For instance, stick to those twice-weekly hard workouts and your fibre goal at first. Then, as you become more accustomed to those habits, add one or two more on, and work your way up to incorporating all of the new guidelines for the whole 30 days. While this rec goes against Matthews’ rule of starting all over if you don’t hit every habit every day, that’s totally okay.
3. Find a buddy
Challenges like this are often more successful – and fun – when you’re doing them alongside someone else. Tell your friends and family you’re doing the challenge and encourage them to help keep you on track or even join you, says Matthews. Then, come up with a way to check in and hold each other accountable, like a weekly debrief over dinner or a video chat. You can ‘celebrate the wins together, like a seven-day streak,’ Bomgren says.
4. Log your progress
Keep a journal (or even use a simple habit tracker app) to see what’s going well or what isn’t working. (This tip is especially helpful if you don’t have a friend or family member doing the challenge with you who you can reflect with.) ‘This can help reveal patterns you can learn from going forward,’ Coviello says.
For example, maybe you’re having a hard time hitting your fibre goal, but looking back at your journal makes you realise you’ve ordered a lot of takeout recently. You can then make a point to cook more meals at home that will give you enough fibre.
5. Stack your habits
Pair a new habit with a current one in your daily routine to make the new practice easier to adopt, Coviello recommends. For instance, you can get your steps in on a walking pad while taking a work meeting or drink a glass of water while you wait for your usual morning coffee to brew.
6. Use visuals
Make the habits you want to establish more ‘visible’ to you, Coviello says, as a reminder to follow through with it. For instance, lay your workout clothes out the night before, set an alarm with a 15- to 30-minute warning for bedtime, or keep the book you’re reading on your nightstand so you can flip some pages before going to bed. Heck, you can even ‘put your water intake in your calendar if you need to,’ Matthews says. ‘You should be 1 litre in by about midday, so a little bump to remind you won’t hurt.’
7. Reward yourself
If you’re someone who needs extra motivation to complete a challenge like this one, Coviello suggests treating yourself on a regular basis. Maybe after each week you’ve completed, you eat your favourite dessert after a meal or give yourself more reading time. At the end of the 30 days, you can reward yourself with something bigger, like a facial or a manicure, to celebrate your success.
Ultimately, the most important way to be successful with 30 Realistic is to make the challenge work for you. Choosing bits and pieces that align with your lifestyle will ensure you come out on top once the month is over—and then, you can see what sticks around in your permanent routine.
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Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. She’s a graduate of Ithaca College. You can find her work here on Women’s Health, and in many other publications including PS, SELF, Well+Good, Runner’s World, Outside RUN, Peloton, Men’s Fitness, and more.
