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Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
What is the 12-3-30 treadmill trend? Can it help burn more calories?
TikTok's viral 12-3-30 workout, popularized by Lauren Giraldo, involves walking on a 12% incline at 3 mph for 30 minutes. A study reveals it burns a similar amount of calories to running, but utilizes a higher percentage of fat as fuel. Ideal for beginners or those with joint issues, it offers muscle engagement and cardiovascular benefits. Remember how fitness trends used to trickle slowly into our lives? Well, TikTok changed that. The 12-3-30 workout, popularized by influencer Lauren Giraldo, is ridiculously easy to remember: set your treadmill to a 12% incline, walk at 3 mph, and keep cranking for 30 minutes. That's it. The simplicity is genius—and it's part of why it's gone viral. Giraldo even claims it helped her lose 30 pounds, which hooked countless fans. What happens in your body? A legit recent study in the International Journal of Exercise Science compared 12-3-30 to self-paced treadmill running. Here's what they found: Total calorie burn: Matched between both workouts (around 310 kcal) Time difference: Incline walking took a full 30 minutes, while running did it in just about 24 minutes. Calorie burn rate: Running was faster~13 kcal/min vs. ~10 kcal/min for 12-3-30. Fuel source, more fat on board Here's the interesting bit: when they broke down what type of fuel your body uses: 12-3-30: Around 41% of energy came from fat. Running: Roughly 33% from fat, more from carbs So yes, 12-3-30 nudges your body into burning a higher percentage of fat—but remember, that doesn't mean more total fat loss. Total calories burned still rules the day when weight or fat loss is the goal Who's this workout best for? Beginners or joint-nervous folks? Super promising. 12-3-30 is low-impact and still gives you that calorie burn and fitness benefit without the pounding of running Short on time? Consider going for a run if fat loss via calorie burn efficiency is your mission running burns faster If fat-burning percentage matters to you, and you love walking over running this exercise delivers on that front. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The 5 Books Warren Buffett Recommends You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Fitness pros stress one thing above all: consistency. If you hate running but love walking on a steep incline, that's the workout you'll keep doing and that's golden Other cool perks of 12-3-30 Muscle engagement: The steep incline lights up your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and lower back. Heart-smart: It's steady-state cardio that can boost your cardiovascular fitness and endurance. Brain and mood booster: Like most cardio, incline walking can lift your mood and lower stress. Versatility: Totally do-able at home or gym, with easy tweaks for pace, incline, or duration depending on fitness level. If you're after a simple, joint-friendly workout that torch calories and uses more fat as fuel, the 12-3-30 treadmill trend is a standout contender. It's accessible, challenging (in a good way), and keeps your legs and lungs working. But if you're aiming to burn the most calories in the least time, running still wins. Ultimately, the best workout is the one you'll actually stick with, and if that's ramped-up walking on a treadmill incline, then 12-3-30 might just become your favourite go-to. A recent study compared the 12-3-30 treadmill workout to running, finding that while running burns calories faster, the 12-3-30 method relies more on fat for fuel. Experts emphasize that total calorie burn is crucial for weight loss, and consistency is key. The 12-3-30 workout offers a sustainable, lower-impact fitness option. (Image: iStock) Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes, , messages , and quotes !
Tom's Guide
14-06-2025
- Health
- Tom's Guide
I ditched running for incline walking for a week — and I'm really surprised by the results
Let me start this article with a confession — I'm a runner who actively avoids hills. If I see hill training on my plan, I'll come up with every excuse to avoid it, and if I encounter a hill in real life, you best believe I'm walking up it, not running. But, according to a recent study, this might be a good thing. In fact, walking uphill might be the secret to building stronger legs and boosting cardiovascular fitness. Read on to find out more, and what happened when this hill-avoiding fitness writer faced her nemesis for a week. You've heard of the 12-3-30 workout, but what are the benefits of adding an incline to your daily walk? A new study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science looked into just this. The study compared the metabolic responses between the 12-3-30 workout and self-paced running. Participants walked at a 12% incline, at three miles per hour, for 30 minutes, without holding onto the handrail. They then completed a run a few days later, which was self-paced — they simply had to run until they reached the total calorie burn of the 12-3-30 workout. Researchers measured whether participants sourced more of their energy from fat or carbohydrates while exercising, and concluded that running burned 33% of its calories from fat, while incline walking burned 40% from fat. While this is only a small study, there are a huge number of benefits to incline walking. Firstly, you're forced to really work the muscles in your thighs, calves, and glutes as you climb, strengthening the lower body. You'll also engage your core as you work to keep your torso upright. Your heart will be working hard to push your body up the hill, so you'll probably burn a lot more calories than if you were running or walking on the flat. Finally, despite the hill, your joints will be under less impact than when you're running, making this a good alternative if you suffer from joint pain (although always check with your doctor first) or want a low-impact alternative while marathon training. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. I'm a marathon runner, but I'm currently rebuilding my fitness after giving birth 15 months ago. I've recently been trying a lot of walking workouts for Tom's Guide, so I slipped on my running shoes and tried incline walking instead of running for a week. Here's what happened: For this challenge, I decided to add at least 20 minutes of hill walking to my day, every day, for seven days. On the first day, I headed out on my hilliest dog walk and did laps up and down the hill for 20 minutes, much to my fellow dog walkers' confusion. It didn't take long for my legs to burn. I'd use the downhill as my recovery, trying to catch my breath before powering back up the hill. Walking on the incline immediately sent my heart rate soaring, far higher than it would when walking on the flat. I also noticed I'd burnt more calories at the end of the walk, but I could tell by the ache in my legs I was strengthening muscles I hadn't been working as hard as I walked and ran on the flat. On other days during the week, I would head to the gym and walk on the treadmill instead, and I'll admit I found this much easier. One of the benefits of the treadmill is that it's easier to control. I was able to set my incline to 12% and just walk, and although I didn't have the breaks I did when walking outside, I felt I was able to listen to my audiobook and try and grin and bear it for 30 minutes. On most days, I hiked around 948 feet over 30 minutes. On some days, I continued walking until I'd hit 1,000 feet. I found that, especially when walking on the treadmill, I tended to lean my torso forward as I hiked uphill, looking down at my feet as I moved. This isn't how you want to be walking, especially as it reduces the amount of work your core is doing. I had to think about keeping my shoulders back and down, and engaging my midsection as I stepped uphill. A week later, I was surprised at how much I'd enjoyed this challenge and how much my legs ached from all that walking. The challenge felt accessible — all I needed was a comfortable pair of sneakers, and I strapped one of the best fitness trackers to my wrist to keep an eye on how far I'd walked, but it was easy to slow my pace when I felt tired or got particularly out of breath. While I definitely won't be signing up to a trail marathon any time soon, perhaps I'll switch up one of my regular running routes to include the odd hill now and then.
