There’s a reason why so many people hate the treadmill — it has the potential to be mind-numbingly boring. If left to my own devices, even when using one of the best treadmills on the market, without the structure of a Peloton class or treadmill workout, I spend my time staring at the ticking clock, wishing I was somewhere else. That said, when I saw the Taylor Swift treadmill strut going viral on TikTok, I was keen to find out more. So I put my fear of the dreadmill aside and head to the gym to give it a go.
The Taylor Swift treadmill strut was devised by Alice Bennett, who puts together treadmill workouts (or struts, in her words) to the music of popular artists. Bennett has since amassed a whopping 300,000 followers on TikTok and her Taylor Swift workout currently has 3.6 million views on the platform, and for good reason. The workout requires you to walk for 36 minutes, increasing the intensity with each song. Read on to find out more.
Looking for more workout inspiration? Here’s what happened when I did 100 calf raises a day for a week, and when I added a plank to my morning routine. Talking of planks, according to Chris Hemsworth’s PT, these are the best ab exercises you can do.
What is the Taylor Swift treadmill workout?
The Taylor Swift treadmill strut is a 36-minute walking workout, that helps you increase your pace throughout the workout by following the beat of the music. It’s perfect for Swifties, as it includes ten of her songs back to back, all you have to do is strut. Here’s the playlist and the suggested treadmill speed to start with, for each song, Bennett suggests adding 0.1mph onto your pace. “Don’t put the playlist on shuffle!” she writes.
The Man - 3.4mph
How You Get The Girl - 3.5 mph
Message In A Bottle - 3.6 mph
Better Than Revenge - 3.7 mph
New Romantics - 3.8 mph
You Belong With Me - 3.9 mph
Look What You Made Me Do - 4.0 mph
For the next two songs, Shake It Off and Ready For It, Bennett gives you the option to run, or continue at a fast walk. On TikTok, she runs at a pace of 7 mph for the final two tracks.
During the final track, Style, Bennett suggests dropping your treadmill back to 3.0mph and strutting it out for your cooldown. “Put the treadmill at whatever pace you feel like, pretend you’re on a runway, and strut your heart out to Style," she writes in a TikTok caption. Bennett has also put the playlist together for listeners on Spotify.
All you’ll need for this workout is a pair of headphones (check out the best sweat-proof running headphones here), a treadmill, and a pair of comfortable running shoes. Unlike your everyday sneakers, running shoes are designed to absorb some of the impact as you run and walk, so are better designed for treadmill workouts. We’ve found the best running shoes and the best women’s running shoes to shop here.
@benntheredonethat ♬ taylor swift treadmill strut workout - allie bennett
Is the Taylor Swift strut a good workout?
In a word, yes. There are a number of benefits to walking workouts — in fact, walking is one of the best ways to lose weight and tone up. Walking is a great form of exercise — it can help you build muscle, strengthen your heart, boost your immune system, and help your mental health (here’s what just 30-minutes of walking per day can do for your body).
The best thing about the Taylor Swift strut is that it’s fun — as you gradually increase your pace to keep up with the music, you’re working harder, but the basis of the workout isn’t about burning calories or competing with others.
Designed to give you that main character energy, the Taylor Swift strut is suitable for beginners and more advanced athletes alike. If you are a complete beginner, start at a walking speed that feels easy to you, and gradually increase the pace each time.
How can you make the Taylor Swift strut harder?
If you’re looking to make the Taylor Swift treadmill strut harder, you can play around with the incline on the treadmill. Like another viral TikTok workout taught us — the 12-3-30 workout, walking at an incline is a much tougher workout, as it forces you to engage your calves, glutes, and hamstrings more than walking on the flat.
You can also run the Taylor Swift strut workout, starting at an easy pace and adding speed for each song, or add 0.2 or 0.5 to your speed each time rather than 0.1. Jump on the treadmill and give it a go — you won’t regret it.
