Fitness

Does the 10-2-20 workout really help you lose weight in just 20 minutes? Fitness buffs rave over simple exercise

Published

2 years ago

April 22, 2024

Could a 20 minute walk every day be the key to losing weight? Fitness fanatics on TikTok seem to think so.

The popular 10-2-20 workout has emerged on social media as a low impact – but still extremely effective – way to lose up to 15 pounds in two months.

The workout involves walking at a speed of two miles per hour on a treadmill for 20 minutes while at a 10 percent incline four times a week.

It has been proposed as an alternative to the 12-3-30 routine, which calls for walking at 3mph at a 12 percent incline for 30 minutes.

However, experts say the less intense version is still an efficient way to drop weight.

Doing the 10-2-20 workout while lifting weights and eating nutritious foods can help you lose eight to ten pounds of fat in six to eight weeks, Nicole Rauch Winter, a fitness coach at Ladder, an app based fitness program, said in a TikTok.

While the original workout may not seem that hard to begin with, it is actually intense, according to DeAnne Davis Brooks, kinesiology professor at the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

‘You have to be in pretty decent shape to go at that pace and that incline for 30 minutes,’ she told Health.

So users have created a slightly dialed down version that could be easier for the average person to accomplish.

‘Instead of just doing the workout wrong, or even worse, not doing it at all, I modified it for me, I’ve been doing the 10-2-20, which is something that is still challenging but is something that I’m able to accomplish,’ TikTok user Jennifer Nicole said.

Some social media users are enthused about the results they’ve seen. ‘I lost 1 kg [2lbs] in 2 weeks by just using the treadmill,’ user Naima commented on Ms Winter’s post.

‘To the TikTok gym girlies who said 10-2-20, thank you’ user Miranada Cheyenne shared in a video.

She said the routine was going to help her get her ‘body snatched’ into shape before vacation.

Treadmill workouts like these are a popular alternative to the high intensity workouts that many creators feature online, Georgie Spurling, the founder of GS Method, an online wellness platform, previously told the DailyMail.com.

‘Power walking can provide a great cardio workout – strengthening the lower body, building endurance and muscle,’ Ms Spurling said.

This type of exercise helps you get your heart rate up without harming your joints, and can be a less-intimidating introduction to the gym for people who may have been turned off by more intense routines, Ms Spurling added.

Walking regularly can help reduce your risk for developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke, according to Mayo Clinic.

But this exercise isn’t a magic pill, and probably won’t help you lose weight unless you also make other lifestyle changes, like diet.

Ms Spurling told DailyMail.com: ‘If you’re looking to lose weight [or] fat or gain muscle there are so many other factors such as diet, sleep, stress, and lifestyle, and no workout is going to help you change overnight – no matter what the viral claims may be.’

That’s probably why creators like Ms Winter recommend incorporating the routine alongside diet changes.

Ms Winter recommends following an 80:20 diet, wherein 80 percent of the meals you eat are focused on eating unprocessed, nutrition heavy meals, and 20 percent are whatever you’re craving.

Also, the frequency of your routine matters. To get the recommended 75 minutes of aerobic exercise that doctors at Mayo Clinic prescribe per week, you’d need to do this split at least four times a week.

While walking is generally a pretty safe form of exercise, doing it at this kind of incline could cause you to walk in ways that stress your joints and back, Jenny Francis-Townson, a celebrity fitness trainer, told Women’s Health.

She added: ‘If you’re not used to repetitive walking or running, you could also find you feel pain in knees or ankles or calves due to overuse and the repetitive nature of this form of exercise.’

Additionally, Ms Spurling said doing this exercise more than twice a week could be monotonous, leading people off of their fitness journey because of sheer boredom.

If you enjoy doing it, however, she recommends mixing it in with other forms of cardio, or taking a walk outside.

‘I do like that this workout is low impact and won’t spike your stress hormones out too much, but there are so many other ways to do this that are engaging, exciting, and just as effective, such as Pilates or various sports,’ Ms Spurling said.

Click to comment

Fitness

Exercise scientist reveals the strength training mistake many women make, even after lifting for years

Published

34 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Exercise scientist reveals the strength training mistake many women make, even after lifting for years

Wondering how much weight you should be lifting in the gym to build strength? Dr Stacy Sims says that not going heavy enough could be the biggest mistake women are making in their workouts.

What strength training looks like might differ (for example, some prefer callisthenics over classic weight training) for some, but one thing is clear – it needs to be a challenge.

This is something exercise scientist Dr Stacy Sims was keen to emphasise to journalist Clare Johnston on a recent episode of her podcast, The Honest Channel. The pair discussed why intensity really matters for women when they’re strength training, rather than just doing the same exercise for as many sets or reps as possible.

Article continues below

Dr Sims says she believes many women don’t push themselves enough when working out, which is why we might not see results as quickly as we want. “There’s an inherent difference between building muscle and building strength. So we know that again, one of the first things that will come is strength, but how are we actually maximising that for women?” she says.

How much weight should I lift?

Dr Sims recommends lifting a weight you can complete for a maximum of six to eight repetitions, leaving just one or two in reserve. As she says in her video on perimenopause and resistance training: if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.

Doing lots of repetitions with lighter dumbbells or other weights won’t have the same effect, she warns. Doing many reps over time improves your muscles’ endurance, but not how fibres within the muscle are working and how tightly they’re contracting, which is what you need to build strength – especially in perimenopause.

“When we start having changes in oestrogen, one of the first things that goes is pure power and strength because oestrogen affects our contractile proteins actin and myosin,” she says. She explains that adding load (lifting heavier) means actin and myosin “hold onto each other a lot harder and to have a very strong and tight contraction – that’s what strength and power are”. This means that if you’re not challenging your muscles to work harder through progressive overload, you won’t see the results you may be aiming for, because the proteins in your muscles are only ever contracting lightly.

“It’s not just about building lean mass, it’s about how strong that muscle is as we go about building it. How do we go about preserving strength and fast-twitch fibres and all the things women need to conserve as we get older to have a really good health span,” Dr Sims explains.

Fast-twitch muscle fibres are needed for heavy weight lifting, sprinting and reaction ability, but they can fatigue quickly and reduce in size and number as we age. This is because of the fall in oestrogen we experience as we enter perimenopause. Men don’t have this problem because their testosterone levels stay more stable throughout their lives.

Taking supplements like creatine, alongside regular exercise, has been shown to improve this as well.

Dr Sims says lifting heavy weights and doing plyometric exercises – explosive, high-intensity exercises such as jumping or hopping – helps women increase and maintain their fast-twitch muscle fibres. She says if we focus on lifting heavy weights for fewer reps, there’s no need to be in the gym for hours every week – welcome news for all of us.

As for how often you should lift weights, she suggests at least three sessions every week with active recovery days between them. This should include mobility exercises and zone 2 exercise, such as a walking workout.

If you’re new to strength training, remember to speak to a trained professional first to ensure you avoid injury.

Fitness

Jogging 101: Benefits for Your Body and Mind

Published

13 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Jogging 101: Benefits for Your Body and Mind

Walking and running share a number of benefits — but what about that sweet middle ground between the two?

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

“Jogging is about creating a steady pace,” says sports and exercise medicine specialist Leonardo Oliveira, MD. “Instead of focusing on speed, you’re focused more on endurance with good, quality steps.”

Before your next jaunt, Dr. Oliveira shares the many benefits of jogging and how it can help improve your overall health and wellness.

9 benefits of jogging

Unlike running, where you’re focused on targeting different heart rate zones, jogging involves keeping a more stable and persistent pace. If you’re jogging at a moderate intensity, for example, your target heart rate will usually fall into zone 2, at 60% to 70% of your max heart rate.

“When you’re jogging, you should be able to carry on a conversation as you breathe through your nose,” says Dr. Oliveira. “If you’re doing just 15 minutes of jogging three times a week, you’re already going to notice the benefits.”

Here’s how you can benefit from jogging.

1. Reduces stress

Jogging, like other exercises, can help decrease your stress levels. As an aerobic exercise, it helps release endorphins, which can boost your mood and create feelings of euphoria or satisfaction. Not only does it provide an outlet for pent-up energy, but jogging outside also allows you to spend more time in nature, which provides even more mental health benefits.

“Research shows exercise can be as effective as medication when treating depression because of its wide-ranging benefits,” says Dr. Oliveira.

2. Burns calories

Jogging is a full-body exercise that offers a higher calorie burn than some other aerobic exercises. According to the widely used Compendium of Physical Activities, jogging burns about 7.5 calories per kilogram of body weight each hour. That means you can burn about:

8 times as many calories as sitting quietly
4 times as many calories as walking
2.6 times as many calories as stationary cycling

“Jogging will burn more calories in a shorter period of time than cycling, especially if you’re not used to exercising,” reports Dr. Oliveira.

3. Improves insulin resistance and boosts metabolism

Insulin resistance is one of the biggest barriers to having a healthy metabolism. Insulin helps your body break down glucose for energy. But if your body can’t do that, your metabolism slows down, leading to:

Lower energy levels
Weight gain
An inability to burn fat

“Exercising at higher intensities helps increase metabolism and insulin resistance,” says Dr. Oliveira. “But researchers have also found that even lower-intensity exercises, like jogging, for longer periods of time can have the same effect.”

4. Strengthens your heart

Jogging also has positive impacts on your heart and its ability to pump blood to the rest of your body. That’s because it contributes to hypertrophy, or the strengthening of your heart’s muscle tissues.

“As you develop endurance, the amount of blood in one pump increases,” explains Dr. Oliveira. “When your heart gets stronger, it contracts more efficiently, which decreases your resting heart rate.”

5. Improves lung expansion and gas exchange

The more you work on building endurance and stamina, the more likely it is that you’ll improve your overall ability to breathe — both at rest and while jogging.

“Consistent aerobic exercise helps your lungs get stronger and more efficient,” says Dr. Oliveira. “Over time, you won’t need to breathe as often because each breath brings in more oxygen than before.”

6. Activates muscles

Jogging activates major muscle groups, including your:

Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
Back

“Strength training is a good complement to jogging because it can help strengthen all the areas of your body,” says Dr. Oliveira. “This can help you handle longer distances.”

7. Reduces stiffness

“Jogging is one of those activities where once you get going, you start to feel better,” notes Dr. Oliveira. “It’s an exercise that helps warm up your muscles and lubricate your joints, which can help with the overall sense of stiffness that comes with age.”

That said, jogging is still a high-impact exercise because it forces you to bear down weight as your feet hit the pavement. Consider working with a physical therapist or athletic trainer to reduce the risk of further injury if you:

Have arthritis
Have an active injury
Had previous sprains or fractures in your lower body

8. Improves endurance

“The more you jog, the more you’ll increase your functional aerobic capacity,” says Dr. Oliveira. “Someone who jogs regularly will have better physical fitness that will help them last longer on a bike or a walk than someone who’s just getting started.”

Your ability to breathe and move also extends to other daily activities that demand cardiovascular strength and endurance, like climbing stairs.

9. Provides better quality of life and other mental health benefits

Research shows that any amount of jogging — even just once a week — can improve your quality of life and lower your risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular-related issues.

“Jogging is a great form of exercise, but it’s not the only one,” notes Dr. Oliveira. “The most important thing is to work on being healthy and strong. And for a lot of people, if you’re looking to advance your physical fitness, jogging is a good place to start.”

Fitness

Michelle Yeoh, 63, uses ‘exercise snacking’ to stay fit – here’s why mini workouts have big benefits

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Michelle Yeoh, 63, uses ‘exercise snacking’ to stay fit – here’s why mini workouts have big benefits

As an increasing number of scientific studies are published citing the benefits of ‘exercise snacking’ – short bouts of physical activity sprinkled throughout the day – one celeb has sworn by the practise for several years already. The woman in question? Acting great Michelle Yeoh. Below, we look at the power of mini workouts and why the Oscar-winner’s go-to move is so effective.

Stretching

Michelle revealed to Vogue that she incorporates fitness into her morning routine in a way that’s incredibly time-efficient. ‘Remember, you can do your kicks, you can do your stretches, while you are also waking up,’ she said. Indeed, research has shown that regular stretching can improve flexibility, reduce muscle stiffness and improve blood circulation – all crucial elements of healthy ageing.

And you don’t have to stretch for very long, either. One study found that while static stretching improves flexibility in adults, there was no additional benefit observed beyond four minutes per session or 10 minutes per week. So, it seems that a short stretching sesh (you don’t even have to get out of bed to do it) like Michelle’s is a very worthwhile habit to adopt.

Squats

In her Vogue interview, Michelle also shared that she performs squats most days while doing her skincare routine. Virtually every expert and trainer we speak to here at Women’s Health lists squats as one of the most important moves for women to do as they age. A compound exercise (when multiple muscle groups are used), squats also mirror the vital movement pattern of sitting down and getting back up again.

Numerous studies have highlighted the benefits of this simple exercise for posture, strength and power, and one paper even found that intermittent squat exercises performed during prolonged periods of sitting may boost brain power. Whether you’re squatting mid-moisturise like Michelle or while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, the science suggests sprinkling squats into your day can be really quite powerful.

The power of habit stacking

As Michelle’s routine shows, adopting a sustainable exercise routine often relies on habit stacking – adding a movement to something you already do every day, like doing your skincare or brushing your teeth.

BRB, we’re just off to do our daily squats.

After years living with endometriosis and undergoing seven rounds of IVF, Radio 4 presenter Emma Barnett turned to training with PT Frankie Holah to rebuild strength and a more positive relationship with her body. Download the Women’s Health UK app to access Frankie’s full training plan.

Get the app

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.