Assistant Professor of Sports and Exercise Science Dr. Gene Farren is an expert on physical activity and teaches various classes within the field of exercise science. A trend is circulating on social media, named the 12-3-30 workout, in which there is an incline of 12 on the treadmill while running for 30 minutes at a speed of 3. The leader of this trend is social media influencer Lauren Giraldo and it has taken social media by storm.

The exercises people choose depend upon their own physical history and their comfort level with exercises or the gym, and people choosing to exercise based on social media trends will depend upon their history with exercise.

“When you are doing that exercise for 30 minutes, you are meeting the physical activity requirements,” Dr. Farren said. “ACSM [American College of Sports Medicine] says you need to be active for 150 minutes a week. If you’re doing 30 minutes everyday, or even five times a week, you’re going to pass that 150 minutes.”

The recommendation ACSM gives for 150 minutes of exercise a week is based on exercises such as cardiorespiratory, resistance, flexibility and neurometer exercises. Cardiorespiratory exercises focus on walking as the movement transports oxygen to the muscles. Resistance exercises include weight machines and anything that provides strength to the muscles. Flexibility exercises include stretching out the body, whilst neurometer exercises focus on training motor skills through movements like yoga.

“At a 12 percent incline you’re definitely going to raise your heart rate,” Dr. Farren said. “It’s going to work out muscles in your legs, which are the largest muscles in your body, which means you’re going to be burning more calories as well. If it gets people active, that’s awesome.”

For Giraldo, the workout incline was perfect because she could start slow and ease herself into the workout, which is also what Dr. Farren suggests.

“When you’re in an incline, you’re going to be in moderate to vigorous physical activity depending on your makeup,” Dr. Farren said.

If you are interested in starting a new workout routine, whether that is the 12-3-30 workout or something different, the Virgil Henson Activities Center offers a fitness program called Group X that can get you started on your fitness routine.