If you have a TikTok account or any form of social media, you probably have heard of the 12-3-30 workout. It’s the latest workout trend that’s got everyone hitting the treadmill with the promise of major results. Created by actress and influencer Lauren Giraldo, the trend has over 18 million people participating in the #12330challenge. Many TikTokers are claiming that the workout is kickstarting their motivation to work out on a regular basis. It also claims to burn hundreds of calories in under an hour. With thousands of transformation videos to watch, the evidence is almost overwhelming.
I know I’m not the first person who feels the spring semester blues this time of the year. It starts with feeling a little tired or being too lazy to go out on a Friday… and suddenly you find yourself living on ramen and haven’t left your room in five days. I really wanted to start working out and get my fall semester motivation back. That’s when I found out about the 12-3-30 workout. It seemed fairly simple and the number of people raving about it really encouraged me to try it out!
As the weekend came around, I convinced my friend to join me in the gym (highly recommend going with a friend!). The instructions are fairly easy to follow: set your treadmill to an incline of 12, speed to 3mph, and walk for 30 minutes. As I said, fairly easy! As we started working out, I couldn’t believe that the exercise was surprisingly tough. Being quite active throughout school, I was not expecting a simple walking exercise to turn into a strenuous sweat session. However, it definitely got easier after the second day as my body got used to the workout. I religiously followed social media’s recommendation of doing this exercise 5 days a week and was delighted to actually see results! My lower-body muscles were visibly more toned, and I also felt much stronger. Additionally, working out every day increased my stamina, and by the fifth day it was much easier.
Of course, it is not always the best idea to take fitness advice from social media. As promising as the 12-3-30 workout is, some users also advise against it due to the potential strain it can cause on the knees and back. It’s better to ask a personal trainer or physician for advice regarding which workouts to practice in the gym. Personally, I enjoyed indulging in a quick and easy workout during which I could chat with my friend as well. Going forward, I won’t be only doing the 12-3-30 as it is definitely taxing, but I will incorporate it into my workouts frequently.
So in conclusion, the 12-3-30 is a fairly safe, simple, and fun way to start working out and I definitely loved how it gave my friends and I another reason to spend time together!
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