When my friend first told me she was training 12-3-30, I had no idea what she was talking about. Somehow, despite my addiction to Peloton and yoga, I still haven’t found my way to FitTok, TikTok’s subsection with workout tips and exercise tips. But when two women I follow on Twitter mentioned working out, I had to learn more about this viral challenge.
“I used to run but stopped last year and wanted a low-impact way to increase fitness to start over,” says Dore Ann Zimmermann, a food blogger in New Jersey. “It was definitely a workout! You can expect sweating and an increased heart rate.
What is Exercise 12-3-30?
Exercises 12-3-30 created by influencers Lauren Giraldo in 2019 and gained traction after she shared how her exercise regimen helped her lose 30 pounds. The workout gained momentum in 2020 and has since gone viral with hashtags #12330 workout resulting in over 131 million views on TikTok. It follows a fairly simple format:
- Adjust your treadmill’s incline to 12%
- Set your speed to 3 miles per hour
- 30 minutes walk
“First [I tried the workout], I lasted about 8 minutes. The tilt is no joke,” says writer and director of content Maya Francis, who worked on 12-3-30 for several weeks. “Since then I have been able to last the full 30 minutes. I also burned more calories walking on an incline for 30 minutes than walking on a flat surface for 45 minutes, or at least that’s what the treadmill said.
But feel free to yourself if the incline feels a bit steep at first.
“The 12% tilt can be a bit ambitious for first-timers, and you shouldn’t let that discourage you,” says Francis. “Also, I’m short so that incline is a bit steep for me because my stride is smaller. Reducing the incline to 9% is better than falling off the treadmill. I just need a few more minutes to make up for it.”
Zimmerman took a similar approach in modifying the exercise.
“Put your speed below 3 mph and gradually increase it,” she advises newbies. “I started at 2.5 and increased by 0.1 every day.”
Does 12-3-30 really work?
“Anything that helps keep the body moving will work,” says Sonya Robinson, a personal trainer and fitness nutritionist certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) based in Chicago. “This provides a low-equipment, low-impact workout that any fitness level can do.”
Inclined walking is especially good for working your lower body muscles and core. Take a walk Robinson suggests that it also benefits heart health, but try to limit your grip on the treadmill’s rails to get the most out of your workout.
How do you get the most out of your 12-3-30 workout?
For a well-rounded fitness routine, Robinson recommends combining the 12-3-30 workout with other exercises, such as strength training, yoga, or Pilates. Almost anything is welcome as long as you put it together.
“Your body will settle down if you just do the same thing for weeks or months,” she says. “There are many additional benefits to some form of resistance training. It’s safe and low-impact and anyone can do it by adjusting the incline, speed or duration to suit their fitness level. Of course, your nutrition should also be tailored depending on your goals.
But what if I don’t have a treadmill?
“You can do any cardio of your choice and always vary the speed or resistance so that the StairMaster, elliptical, or stationary bike also work,” says Robinson. “It won’t be exactly like an exercise but again, any movement done consistently is what matters most.”
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