Just when you think you’ve tried all the treadmill workouts TikTok has to offer, another one emerges — much to the great relief of bored gym-goers everywhere. This time, the sweat session du jour is a fun, quick, and yet totally effective 18-minute treadmill routine from TikTok user (and trainer) @jennadeleon that’s currently sitting at about 145,000 views.
Set to J. Cole’s 2011 song “Work Out” — how apropos! — the peppy treadmill session incorporates a series of speed and incline changes to give you a great full-body workout in less than 20 minutes. To start, set your treadmill speed to 4 mph and walk quickly for 10 minutes. Next, pump up the speed to 4.6 mph and do a light jog for two minutes. Then, sprint at 7 mph for one minute before finishing the workout with a five-minute 4.4 mph walk at a moderate incline.
Of course, this workout comes from TikTok — so plenty of people have shared their thoughts on de León’s creation in the comments section, which will give you some insight into what it actually feels like to do this routine. One commenter said, “I cannot comprehend the speed of the treadmill” and another added, “She said walk at 4.0, I’m 5.1 and at 4.0 I’m running.” So keep this in mind: One person’s walk may be another person’s run, but the overall goal is to keep increasing the treadmill speed over the course of the workout so that your heart rate goes up. It doesn’t really matter if you’re power walking or jogging at 4 mph as long as you keep moving and have a good time.
With all that in mind, here are all the benefits you can expect from fitness trainer de León’s 18-minute treadmill routine.
The Benefits Of This Viral 18-Minute Treadmill Routine
Even though you’re only walking for the first 10 minutes of the routine, it’s a fast walk, which is why this is a cardio workout right from the jump. Walking is also considered one of the best low-impact exercises, says Joshua Lipsey, a celebrity trainer and owner of Core Fitness, so consider it a gentle way to warm up your body before you ease into the rest of the session.
Once you move onto jogging and sprinting, that’s when you start working on your cardio and aerobic capacity, Lipsey tells Bustle. And because you finish by walking up a moderately steep incline, you work quite a few muscle groups, too. “The primary muscles used in walking are your quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductors,” Lipsey says, adding that running primary works your glutes, hip flexors, and calves. “Jogging for two minutes increases muscular endurance and can increase flexibility,” he explains.
He recommends trying this routine about six times a week to see the most cardio benefit or tacking it onto other workouts as a complementary cardio segment. “I am a fan of anything that gets people moving and away from a sedentary lifestyle,” Lipsey adds. While TikTok fads come and go, finding one that works for you can help you stay consistent and enjoy your time at the gym.
