Abstract

Since Lauren Giraldo originally posted a video of the exercise programme on YouTube in 2019, the 12-3-30 workout has gained popularity across various platforms. The 12-3-30 is a strenuous aerobic treadmill workout that promotes weight loss, cardiovascular health, and muscular growth, according to both its designer and users. The activity may have health advantages such as enhancing cardiovascular health and lowering excess body fat. Learn more about the 12-3-30 workout, its other potential advantages and risks, and whether you should try this fitness fad for yourself.

What And How To Do A 12-3-30 Workout?

The 12-3-30 workout has a relatively straightforward structure:

  • Set the incline on your treadmill at 12%
  • Put 3 miles per hour as your speed
  • Take a 30-minute stroll

People often ask our experts about how to perform the 12-3-30 workout safely, while activating the right muscles before stepping onto a 12-3-30 treadmill. To them, we have the following professional advice and signals:

  • Throughout the workout, keep your shoulders back, your core stable, and your spine in a neutral position to maintain proper posture.
  • To walk with a consistent heel-to-toe stride, make sure your feet are landing beneath your shoulders.
  • If you're just starting, don't start doing the 12-3-30 five days a week. Your muscles, joints, and neurological system could become overworked or injured if you do this.
  • Before beginning the 12-3-30, warm up by walking for five minutes at a leisurely pace without an incline. As a cool-down following the workout, repeat this.

Ultimate Health Benefits Of 12-3-30 Workout

The 12-3-30 treadmill workout combines two components of physical fitness: cardio and muscular toning (from incline walking), and it also fulfills weekly activity requirements. This combination may produce several health and wellness advantages which include:

Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Walking uphill, which simulates an inclination, burns more calories than flat-level walking since it requires more work, but it can also raise your heart rate and help you keep a good blood pressure level. Regular exercise helps keep your heart healthy and keeps you protected from chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease (CVD). If you don't balance your day's activity with sedentary periods, you're more likely to develop CVD, type 2 diabetes, and weight problems. The 12-3-30 treadmill workout is one approach to getting moving throughout the day, which may help you maintain a healthy weight and have better heart health.

Tones Muscles

Two types of fibres make up muscles in the human body: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Slow-twitch muscle fibres contribute to endurance (think low-intensity, long duration) because they don't exhaust as quickly as fast-twitch muscle fibres do (think high-intensity, short duration). These slow-twitch muscle fibres, which are triggered by prolonged aerobic exercise, are the emphasis of the 12-3-30 workout. Folks who are new to activities that put their muscles through a lot of stress may benefit from adding an incline to their routines. The incline puts your posterior chain—your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and calf muscles—to work, which improves lower body strength and challenges your overall balance.

Promotes Fat Loss

The ideal amount of physical activity for U.S. adults is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, along with two strength training exercises, per week. Staying between 60% and 70% of your maximal heart rate keeps you in the fat-burning range. The CDC recommends dividing your age by 220 to arrive at your maximum beats per minute to estimate your peak heart rate. You can maintain a conversation without too much effort during the 12-3-30 workout, which is one sign that your heart rate is in the 60% to 70% range. 

May Improve Mood

Regular exercise, such as the 12-3-30 treadmill workout, not only can lift one's spirits but also has a positive effect on people who suffer from certain mental health issues, such as depression. Numerous scientific studies demonstrate how exercise's release of feel-good endorphins benefits your emotional state, mood, attention, and even social relationships. Always get in touch with a trained healthcare professional if you have any concerns about your mental or emotional well-being.

Workout Simplicity

In addition to its physical advantages, the 12-3-30 workout is quick, effective, and simply needs access to a treadmill, whether at the gym or home. It is also regarded as a low-impact workout because it doesn't include jumping, running, or twisting motions, which is kinder to the joints in the lower extremities like the hips and knees. Low-impact exercises, particularly those performed on flat ground like a treadmill, help lower your risk of injury.

Risks Associated With 12-3-30 Workout

Although the severe elevation required for the 12-3-30 workout is normally safe, experts advise against it and suggest beginning at a lesser slope to discover your comfort zone before increasing the incline. They caution that despite the workout's low impact, some individuals may experience shin splints or worsen aching joints if they push themselves over their physical limitations. Exercisers can use the emergency stop clip and other safety precautions that are often included on treadmills when necessary.

Maintaining a steady balance is particularly crucial because walking at an angle increases the chance of falling. Because your joints stay more neutral and you don't need as much proprioception, or awareness of your body's position, walking on flat, immobile surfaces is simpler.

Moving surfaces (particularly inclined ones) put your ankles in less secure positions, requiring greater effort to keep them in place. This challenges your balance and [may increase] your risk of falling. Experts recommend keeping your joints in a more neutral posture during the 12-3-30 workout by maintaining a speed and incline where you feel in control during movement. Protect your feet and ankles by wearing proper and supportive footwear with strong arch support.

Who Should Do The 12-3-30 Workout?

The 12-3-30 treadmill workout is an excellent complement to strength training as it's a lower-impact workout that offsets your lifting days and keeps you moving and progressing without overloading. In general, if you're seeking a cardio challenge or to re-energize your workout, it can be an excellent option. However, like with many workouts, you want to be mindful not to overdo it with the 12-3-30 given its repeated nature that can cause additional stress and strain on joints and muscles. Remember that your body isn't built to function when it is constantly strained by exercise, and try to limit the frequency of your workouts to a few times each week.  

The 12-3-30 workout can also be done if you need to move around after a long day at work or to promote weight loss. Regardless of age or fitness level, it is also appropriate for the majority of people. This workout can be good for increasing blood flow and circulation to improve your mobility and decrease stiffness if you have issues with your feet, ankles, knees, hip joints, or osteoarthritis of your joints in general. To be sure your body can handle the incline and duration of the workout, you should begin slowly and build up to it. 

Avoid this exercise if you notice that patients with certain conditions experience more pain when climbing uphill, especially those who have vascular problems like vascular claudication, which is frequently associated with peripheral arterial disease or, in some cases, back problems like spinal stenosis (though the pain in these patients typically manifests when climbing downhill).

As walking on a treadmill lessens the force of gravity and weight bearing, it is also less stressful on your joints than jogging. She does, however, advise against doing this exercise if you have plantar fasciitis, a condition that causes pain to radiate to the bottom of your heel or foot, or if you get lower back pain as a result of overstretching your muscles. Additionally, due to the strain this exercise places on your entire body, it is not advised if you have deep vein thrombosis or congestive heart failure.

Conclusion

The 12-3-30 treadmill programme is a powerful aerobic exercise that increases heart rate, develops strength and endurance, and may even help you lose weight when combined with a healthy diet. It's memorable and only needs one piece of equipment, so it feels doable for many people. It's hardly a miraculous cure, though. Stick to 12-3-30 a couple of times a week for optimal results, and on the other days, work on strength and mobility, attend a fun exercise class or go for a short stroll around the block to stimulate other muscles. Keep in mind that you are the expert on your body, and move at your own pace.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many calories do you burn during 12-3-30?

The amount of energy you expend varies greatly based on your age, height, weight, metabolism, and level of fitness. Depending on a person's weight and particular metabolism, the 12-3-20 will typically burn around 200 calories. 

Can you do the 12-3-30 workout every day?

Adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity each week. Although the 12-3-30 workout has advantages, additional forms of exercise must be included for a more complete regimen. Many people who are interested in fitness are fully committing to 12-3-30; some even practise it daily. Experts advise staying with the 12-3-30 workout two or three days a week at most and forbid doing this. 

How do you make the most out of a 12-3-30 workout?

Combine the 12-3-30 workout with other activities like weight training, yoga, or Pilates for a well-rounded fitness regimen. Nearly anything is acceptable as long as you mix it up. If you simply do the same activity for a few weeks or months at a time, your body will plateau. 

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