A month into 2023 is the perfect time to go through and re-evaluate your goals. For me, this meant looking at the goals I had written down at the end of 2022, seeing what I was and wasn’t following and then deciding what goals I wanted to continue for the rest of the year. One of the goals I noticed I wasn’t following through on was working out. Surprise, surprise, right? Working out has been one of the easiest goals for me to give up in the past and when I recognized I wasn’t staying true to that goal this year, I knew I needed to make a change.
That’s when I discovered the 12/3/30 challenge. If you haven’t heard of this (I wouldn’t be surprised; it’s new to me as well!), the 12/3/30 challenge is a simple method of working out that seems to have incredibly positive results. The challenge is a pretty easy concept; you set a treadmill to an incline of 12 and walk for 30 minutes at a 3 mph walking pace. While walking sounds boring and slow, an incline of 12 really changes the pace of the workout. The idea is to do this exercise every day for 30 days with a day of rest every six days.
Now for the big question: is it worth trying? Well, as with any form of exercise, there are positives and negatives to this challenge—so let’s break it down.
Movement
The main positive element of this challenge is that it is a form of movement. It gets your body going, which is something you should try and do at least once a day. Additionally, because it’s just walking, you don’t have to move in ways that may be unfamiliar or difficult for you.
Simplicity
It’s an incredibly simple workout but it still gets you to break a sweat. This makes it good for both beginner and more advanced gym goers. There is also just one movement on one machine, which means you don’t have to feel like you’re going to the gym and trying to figure out how 10 different exercise machines work!
Low Impact
This can be taken as both a positive and a negative element. On one hand (as I’ve mentioned), it’s perfect for people who aren’t too comfortable with their knowledge of gym equipment. It’s very easy to get the hang of and it’s not too difficult to complete. On the other hand, it’s not an exercise meant to build muscle or improve your flexibility. While walking on an incline is a great way to strengthen your leg muscles and build some stamina, if your goal is to build muscle or target all muscle groups, you may want to either add other forms of strength training or look into a different type of exercise routine!
Better than Walking
Walking on an incline burns more calories than walking on a flat surface because the walk itself is more strenuous. Your heart’s beating faster, your legs hurt a bit more and you break much more of a sweat than walking on a flat surface. While not everyone is focused on how many calories they lose in a workout, those who want to lose more while avoiding overworking themselves may find this workout allows them to do just that.
Lower Body Pain
This is the biggest warning label that seems to come with this workout. It can be damaging if you’re prone to back or knee pain. Walking on an incline relies very heavily on those muscles and it can be damaging to go from no incline to an incline as aggressive as this one. However, it’s important to remember you can always adjust this workout to fit your needs! If you need to lower the incline, lower the speed or reduce your time on the treadmill, that is absolutely okay. You do whatever you need to feel comfortable without hurting yourself!
At the end of the day, TikTok workout trends are hit-and-miss, so it’s hard to tell what will and won’t be a good workout. There are positives and negatives to this and of course, everyone will have a different experience! I, for one, am going to take on this challenge and honestly, I’m excited to do so! It’s never too late to start your fitness journey so if you were just waiting on a sign, here it is! Good luck!