The End of the 12-3-30 Era? Introducing the Taylor Swift Strut Workout

If you’ve already attempted 12-3-30 workout, it might be time to try another FitTok favorite: the Taylor Swift Treadmill Strut.

Allie Bennett, a content creator based in North Carolina, began sharing treadmill workouts on TikTok about a year ago. The workouts involve walking to a playlist for roughly 45 minutes. You can use the first song to find your pace and then increase your speed by 0.1 mph each time the song changes.

“It’s all about having fun and gaining confidence by moving your body to music you already know and love,” Bennett told Verywell in an email.

Bennett created treadmill strut playlists for Dua Lipa, One Direction, and many other artists but the Taylor Swift videos took off with over 6 million views on TikTok.

Ready for it? Here’s what you need to know to get started: 

• Pick a pre-made playlist from Bennett’s TikTok or Spotify pages and don’t shuffle it
• Set your warm-up speed for the first song
• Increase your speed by 0.1 mph each time the song changes
• Stay at a fast walk or increase to a running speed for the last two songs before the cool-down
• Reduce your speed, cool down, and "strut" it out to the last song on the playlist
  

Swifties seem to love the treadmill struts, and fitness experts support the trend.

“There are so many benefits to walking, and what fun to walk to music you love—it just makes the experience that much more enjoyable,” Susane Pata, NASM-CPT, a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor based in Miami, told Verywell in an email.

Make the Treadmill Strut Work for You

To start the Taylor Swift Treadmill Strut, pull up a playlist and set your treadmill to a warm-up speed. In a video where Bennett does her workout while playing Swift’s “Lover” album, she started with a 2.9 mph walk to warm up and got up to 6.5 mph for the last two songs before returning to 2.9 mph for the cool down.

“The most important thing to remember is that it’s your workout,” Bennett said. “The speeds I suggest are just what I use at 5'9"—not everybody will be able to use them. Take breaks when you need, be sure to hydrate, and most of all, put your negative thoughts away, and focus on having fun.”

Studies have shown that walking can offer a mood boost so don’t counteract those effects by stressing about sticking to the exact workout plan outlined in these videos.

“For example, if you are midway through the workout and it is already becoming very challenging, consider backing off for a song to recover before continuing the progression. On the other hand, if you are midway through the workout and it still feels very, very easy, consider bumping up the speed more quickly than the recommended increment,” Christopher J. Lundstrom, PhD, a lecturer in sports and exercise science at the University of Minnesota, told Verywell in an email.

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, you should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. And if you love Taylor Swift, this type of workout could help you reach that goal.

“Many people may not feel very excited at the prospect of a continuous 40+ minute workout, so the 10-song structure may make the workout mentally more approachable and manageable,” Lundstrom said.

This type of workout can also help you reach your step goal for the day and research published in 2020 suggests that the number of steps a person takes each day, not the intensity, was associated with lower mortality. While walking might benefit overall health, if you are someone who wants to build fitness, a low-intensity walking workout might not be what you’re looking for.

Pata said this workout could be a great way for beginners to start a cardio routine, but she recommends gradually increasing the speeds over time so you don’t “plateau in cardio fitness.”

“Take out the walk intervals and do jogs in place for a progression—when ready for it, not right away. Increase speeds over time, not all of a sudden. That can be a recipe for injury,” she said.

Even if you’re not able to up the speed too much, you can add in an extra challenge by increasing the incline, Pata said.

Can You Shuffle the Playlist?

Bennett's pre-made playlists are a key part of the Taylor Swift Strut. “The songs were picked and organized so that your speed increases every time to match, so if they aren’t in order, it’ll be all over the place,” Bennett said.

For the most part, the songs do get faster throughout the workouts, and research has shown that listening to music you love can enhance exercise performance. But if you're doing the same strut on repeat, you might not see the fitness gains you're expecting, according to Pata.

“You can probably still use the same songs if they motivate you, but don’t adhere to the beat and pay more attention to your speeds,” Pata said.

Whether you’re in training to dance your heart out at the Eras Tour or just need some motivation to hop on the treadmill, this workout can be a great place to start.

“Walking has many benefits, and for beginners, it’s a key way to begin—it’s like the gateway exercise for cardio,” Pata said.