If you’re on TikTok, you probably would’ve seen this viral fitness hack going around a few months back. Dubbed the ’12-3-30′ workout, the hack simply involves walking on a treadmill. More specifically, walking on a treadmill at an incline of 12, a speed of 3mph (that’s 4.8 km for us Aussies), for 30 minutes straight.
TikTok user and Insta influencer Lauren Giraldo is the self-proclaimed “mother” of this trend and credits it for her “snatched” body. According to her, all she did was this workout, explaining that she didn’t calorie count or diet. I’ve done it for five to 10 minutes at the end of a run, and it makes me sweat so much more than a run ever has.
If you explore the trend, there are countless other women jumping on this fitness hack who have seen a change in their bodies. However, unless you’re already a gym-regular, it’s not recommended you try it out.
As for why, certified trainer and holistic health coach Dempsey Marks says it can be dangerous. Speaking to In The Know, she said she wouldn’t recommend the 12-3-30 TikTok treadmill routine for beginners, as “a 12 percent incline is far too steep and can lead to injury, [putting] a great deal of stress on their hamstrings, knees, and Achilles.”
If you are a beginner, don’t worry as there are ways to work up to the TikTok trend. Marks suggests beginning at a lower level of incline and increasing as you build strength and stamina. Might we suggest starting with a literal walk in the park?
That’s not to say incline walking is all bad though. In fact, Iowa Heart Centre says it has a range of benefits, including cardiovascular fitness, muscle building, fat burning, and increasing overall stamina. If you’re looking to strengthen up your glutes (guilty, who doesn’t want a butt you could bounce coins off?), incline walking is great for toning up glutes — studies show it’s actually better to do it on a treadmill than a stairmaster.
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