Actor Alaya F has taken her commitment to fitness a step further by embarking on a 118-day version of the 75 Hard challenge, saying the demanding discipline programme had “fully changed” her life and become something she was now “addicted” to.
The 28-year-old, who has already completed the 75 Hard challenge three times, said she decided on 118 days after calculating that her previous three attempts together left her 118 days short of completing a full year of the programme.
Why 118 days
“The last three times I did it, when I calculated the total, I realised it was 118 days shy of a year, so this time, I decided to go with that number,” Alaya said.
The 75 Hard programme is designed as a 75-day discipline and mental-toughness challenge, requiring participants to complete a set of prescribed tasks every day without missing a day.
Alaya has now chosen to follow the routine for 118 consecutive days instead of the usual 75.
“The first time I did it, it just fully changed my life. And after that, I’ve gotten addicted to it,” she said, adding that she remained curious about how much more the discipline could change her.
Festivals add difficulty
Her latest attempt coincides with the festive season, potentially making adherence to a strict routine more challenging.
Alaya, however, is familiar with taking on the programme during periods filled with celebrations. She said her first attempt coincided with New Year, while another was undertaken during the Diwali and wedding season.
Rather than viewing celebrations as a reason to postpone the challenge, the actor sees difficult periods as opportunities to reinforce discipline and build habits.
She also receives messages from people who say they have attempted the challenge after being inspired by her experience. Alaya said such responses motivate her to continue pushing herself.
More than physical fitness
For Alaya, the challenge is not solely about achieving a particular physical appearance. She views the routine as a way of building consistency, mental discipline and clarity.
That clarity, she said, has also influenced the way she approaches professional decisions.
The actor has been away from the screen for around two years, with Srikanth, released in 2024, being her last theatrical appearance. Despite the absence of new releases, she said the period had been professionally busy.
‘Work building in silence’
Alaya said a considerable amount of work was taking shape behind the scenes even though audiences had not yet seen the results.
“Even though right now, a lot of my work is building in silence and will come out soon, I’m really proud of the decisions that I have taken since 2024,” she said.
She added that, contrary to how her absence from the screen might appear, the past two years had been among the busiest periods of her life.
According to Alaya, several projects have simply not been officially announced yet, leaving audiences unaware of the work she has been doing.
Discipline beyond gym
The actor’s experience with 75 Hard has increasingly become tied to her larger approach to work and decision-making rather than merely her exercise routine.
Completing the programme three times already required her to maintain the prescribed habits through holidays, weddings and other social commitments. The 118-day attempt extends that test considerably.
For Alaya, however, the attraction appears to lie precisely in that difficulty. Having experienced what she describes as a transformative impact during her first attempt, she is now testing how far the same discipline can take her — both physically and mentally.