In 2007, the American Heart Association designated the first Wednesday in April every year to be National Walking Day as a way to encourage Americans to get out there and participate in movement that is easy and accessible for most.
According to the AHA, “Physical activity is one of the most powerful tools to relieve stress, boost your mood and reduce risks of cardiovascular disease, and according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, increasing daily activity by just 10 minutes could help to save more than 100,000 lives a year.”
But like anything in our busy world, we are bombarded by so many messages and activities that compete for our attention, so the one company decided to step things up a little this year (pun intended!) for National Walking Day.
In preparation for helping people get their strut on, Orangetheory Fitness is teaming up with TikToker Allie Bennett to launch her viral #TreadmillStrut workout in its 1,500+ studios around the world. A proud partner of the American Heart Association, Orangetheory will premiere its #TreadmillStrut class on National Walking Day (April 5, 2023) to celebrate the most simple—yet powerful—form of exercise that studies have shown can improve heart health and help prevent chronic disease.
With over 125 million views, Allie’s #TreadmillStrut has taken the TikTok world by storm. The workout calls on participants to walk in style on a treadmill to the beat of a pump-up playlist, incrementally increasing speed every time the song changes.
@benntheredonethat Replying to @mumblit this might be the most FUN workout i’ve ever made – its 43 minutes of back to back BANGERS to make you forget you’re even working out at all 💅🏻 #treadmillstrut #workout #bimbo #workoutplaylist #lgbtq ♬ original sound – allie bennett
To adapt this viral trend to the Orangetheory in-studio experience, Allie worked closely with the company’s expert Fitness team to infuse her Strut into a power walking treadmill portion of the limited-edition class.
We asked Allie how she hopes the campaign and her #treadmillstrut will encourage people of all different fitness abilities to participate, and she told us how important it was to make the workout accessible so as not to appear overwhelming or intimidating.
“My favorite comments I get are from people who were intimidated by the gym or exercise and decided to try the Treadmill Strut. They watched a Treadmill Strut video that looked fun and do-able and realized they’re capable of more than they thought – and this collaboration is about just that! There’s no intensity requirement to moving your body – you can do whatever feels good for YOU no matter what your goals are,” she said.
Orangetheory also tapped the talent of DJ Truth, a member favorite, for a specialty playlist inspired by Bennett’s own song selections that puts participants in the strut-to-the-beat zone. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Orangetheory members will join forces in a unified #TreadmillStrut workout on National Walking Day, featuring heart-pumping inclines and beat-driven power walking.
“As a heart rate-based workout that hinges on treadmills and motivating beats, we immediately saw an opportunity to translate Allie’s virtual movement into one that people can experience together as a global IRL community,” said Scott Brown, Orangetheory’s vice president of fitness.
“And with National Walking Day approaching, we decided that there was no better time to celebrate our Power Walking community and highlight the format as a fun and accessible way to get into The Orange Zone and see results.”
For Allie, becoming a fitness influencer was never a conscious decision, instead it came from a place of wanting to prioritize her mental wellbeing after experiencing disordered eating.
“I posted my first Treadmill Strut video because I found myself walking to the beat of a song and wanted to tell the 3,000 followers, I had at the time about it. They seemed to really like it, so I just kept making more, and here we are! I had a very disordered outlook on food and exercise growing up, but making these videos has actually played a huge part in my recovery,” she told us candidly.
“I’ve somehow stumbled into this community of super-supportive and like-minded people, and they inspire me endlessly. I’m so lucky to be where I am, and getting to do this collaboration with Orangetheory is such an exciting milestone for me in this journey!.”
Orangetheory is based on the science of five-zone heart rate-based interval training, designed to boost metabolism, burn fat and more calories, and improve cardio metabolic, cardiorespiratory and mental health. Its proprietary heart rate monitor tracks personalized performance data in real time, guiding members towards measurable results. Each Orangetheory workout is led by a certified coach who provides options to make the classes accessible for all fitness and ability levels.
“I love that Orangetheory makes its workouts accessible to anyone and everyone, as that’s largely the inspiration behind the Strut,” Allie said in a press release about the campaign.
Those looking to join in on the #TreadmillStrut fun can sign up for any scheduled class on April 5 at their local studio, via orangetheory.com or the Orangetheory app. The class is free for new members.
