365 Moderate Makes Healthy Habits a Lifestyle

I’m all for self-improvement, but when it comes to “no pain, no gain” health and fitness challenges that appeal to our inherent desire for quick fixes and promise life-changing results (see: 75 Hard), I’m calling BS. It’s the same song and dance: A short-lived dopamine hit and a sense of accomplishment from checking off the healthy habit or rules every day (regardless of how you really feel), only to revert to your old ways once the challenge ends. While time-specific health and fitness challenges can jump-start the motivation to adopt a healthy routine and prompt some initial improvements, they often fall short of creating lasting habits and behavioral change.

What is 365 Moderate?

So, what does 365 Moderate look like? The goal is to pick a few sustainable, healthy rituals that you want to follow every day for a year (with the intention to keep them as habits even after you’ve reached a year). While you can choose to follow any habits that make you feel your best, Dr. Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, the fitness and nutrition advisor at BarBend, provided this general plan for 365 Moderate:

30–60 minutes of moderate activity daily, like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, adjusting intensity based on your energy level (include strength training with body weight or light weights two to three times per week and flexibility work, like yoga or stretching, a few times a week)
Eat a balanced diet with moderate portions of a variety of (mostly) whole foods like grains, fruits, veggies, lean protein, and healthy fats
Practice self-care of your choosing for at least 10-15 minutes daily
Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night
Rest when your body tells you to (include light movement like walking or mobility work)

“The trick is to slowly incorporate healthier habits over time that work for you, building on each of them like building blocks,” added Dr. Laura Kunces, PhD, RD, CSSD, the VP of medical strategy at Thorne. Maybe that’s drinking a cup of water before having coffee, taking a walk daily (be it 10 minutes or 10,000 steps), or listening to more self-help podcasts. Then, the next month, try walking for another five minutes or 500 steps, then tack on an additional 10 minutes or 1,000 steps, and so on, or create a wellness stacking routine (think: listening to a podcast while you work out or hydrating while you meal prep). “Once each new step becomes a habit, add another,” Dr. Kunces suggested. “Slowly building on healthy habits can help prevent you from getting overwhelmed and losing motivation and accommodates a tailored plan to meet your physical and mental needs.”

What are the Benefits?

Unlike most health and fitness challenges, 365 Moderate doesn’t dictate any criteria or rules—just a commitment to moderate behaviors like mindful eating, regular movement, and rest when needed. According to Dr. Mohr, it’s about balance rather than intensity. “The 365 Moderate method is a year-long, flexible approach to building healthy habits,” he explained. “Unlike rigid challenges like 75 Hard, it focuses on sustainability by encouraging small, consistent changes.”

Dr. Kunces added that 365 Moderate advocates for balanced and consistent wellness practices throughout the year, meaning that no strict guidelines or restrictions are necessary. “The idea is to incorporate small changes into your routine, which includes overall nutrition and hydration, sleep, exercise, and mental health practices, that you can maintain every day, generally working to build better habits that will eventually improve your overall healthspan significantly,” she said. “Mindfulness, consistency, and flexibility are all core characteristics of the 365 Moderate concept.”

Short-term challenges are enticing: They have a finite timeframe with an end in sight, a structured plan to follow, and the pretense of rapid progress. But they take a one-size-fits-all approach, not considering individual differences in fitness levels, health status, or lifestyle, and lack direction on how to maintain or continue progress once the challenge is over. “While challenges like 75 Hard may result in more immediate and visible changes off the bat, the extreme diligence it takes for those 11 weeks makes it unrealistic for most people to maintain; most people can’t follow an inflexible diet with no room for enjoyment, let alone work in two 45-minute workouts,” Dr. Kunces said. Instead, the 365 Moderate framework is much more approachable and beneficial for incorporating healthy habits for the other 41 weeks of the year, too, which will likely result in positive behavior changes lasting a lifetime.

“365 Moderate is more sustainable because it avoids the burnout associated with short-term, high-intensity challenges like 75 Hard,” Dr. Mohr said. It’s built around manageable and flexible shifts, making it easier to integrate into your daily life. Rather than chasing quick results, the 365 Moderate method encourages forming better habits progressively and allows for the necessary time to address personal triggers and hang-ups, which translates to long-term well-being. “It takes away the pressure of being perfect and promotes more consistency gradually,” Dr. Mohr concluded.

Are There Any Downsides?

“While there aren’t any downsides to the idea of a healthier diet and exercise routine—particularly one that advocates for moderation and sustainability—365 Moderate doesn’t necessarily evoke an initial burst of motivation that a challenge like the 75 Hard does for some people,” Dr. Kunces said. A strict program can be temporarily motivating and put some people in the right mindset to be successful, whereas a wellness concept without clear guidelines, such as the 365 Moderate, can be confusing, discouraging, or easily forgotten. Dr. Mohr also pointed out that the absence of a structure and accountability measures may not appeal to those who do better with rules or want immediate results, making it harder to stay motivated. But he said that can be easily remedied by setting personal goals and tracking progress in a way that works for you.