Taylor Swift’s workout routine: Here are the benefits for runners
I never knew it, but Taylor Swift is my workout doppelgänger. Like Swift, I’m a singer (mezzo soprano in my chorus) and I run and lift weights.
So I was excited to learn that, like me, Swift sings when she runs. In fact, music is my fuel, and all of my neighbours have heard me sing on my runs. I have no shame (and a pretty good voice).
When she was named the 2023 Person of the Year, Swift told Time magazine that to prepare for her Eras tour, she ran on a treadmill while singing her three-hour-plus set list. The internet – as well as runners and their coaches – had thoughts.
‘It was a great idea for her to pair running and singing to build her endurance for the Eras tour,’ says Julie Sapper, a running coach based in Maryland, USA, and the co-founder of Run Farther & Faster. ‘I hope that she took walk and hydration breaks, though, because without them, three hours on a treadmill could cause injury.’
While we don’t know the exact details of Taylor’s running and strength training workouts, which she did at the USA’s very exclusive Dogpound gym, located in New York City and Los Angeles, we do know that we can all incorporate some of Taylor’s habits into our own training. And those habits include – you’ve guessed it – singing.
Sing more to help you run better
If you’ve ever run with a friend and tried to hold a conversation for more than a few minutes, but ended up huffing and puffing, then you’ve used the ‘talk test’ to help you work out the intensity of your run. Essentially, if you can talk while you run, then you’re running ‘easy’ – by contrast, if you can’t talk and need to catch your breath, you’re running ‘hard’. These metrics, though, don’t tell you anything about pace or time, which makes some runners doubt the validity of the test.
This also relates to running and singing. ‘If you’re running at the right intensity, you should be able to sing without pausing for breath,’ says Alethia Mongerie, a running coach based in New Jersey, USA. ‘You should be able to complete a verse or sentence without halting.’
In fact, singing may even be better than talking when it comes to determining your effort mid-run, because the lyrics and melody need to come out smoothly and without gulps of air. To do this, you need to take deep breaths in and let out the air in a continuous exhale. That way, when you start one phrase, you can then move to the next phrase without losing your breath or rushing the words.
Mongerie suggests pairing your singing with zone 2 running. There are five running ‘zones’, all of which are based on your heart rate. Zone 2 is essentially 60-70% of your maximum heart rate and should feel like a light effort. ‘If you can run and sing in zone 2, you are doing it right,’ notes Mongerie.
Swift has said that she used her set list to determine her treadmill pace, often walking during slow songs and speeding up to running during the faster tunes. Consider this another way to incorporate fartlek running into your treadmill workouts, which see you surge and slow down at different points. Plus, if you soundtrack your runs with a Swift playlist, you’ll know all too well that the range of emotions will help to push you through each interval.
Add strength and conditioning to your workout routine
While she gave no specifics, Swift did also do plenty of strength and conditioning work to help her prepare for her tour.
‘Strength and conditioning are very different but equally important,” explains Sapper. Strength work involves lifting heavy loads and taking appropriate rest in between sets, while the purpose of conditioning is to work with no (or very little) rest at lighter loads to maintain a higher heart rate.
Here are two examples:
Strength
Three or four sets of 4-6 squats with a heavy weight, where the last rep feels very difficult, with 3-5 minutes of rest in between sets.
Conditioning
Five sets of rope skipping for 30-45 seconds, followed by 10 push-ups with no breaks between exercises or sets.
Both sequences strengthen your legs, while the second benefits your cardiovascular fitness. It’s important to add both types of training to your workout schedule.
Of course, anyone can see that it’s not just Swift’s legs that are strong. She holds a guitar weighing almost 4kg during part of the show and although, yes, she does use a strap to hold it up, it is still an added weight to her upper body. According to a 2021 systemic review published in Sports Medicine, a strong upper body can assist in improving running economy – so it’s smart to get your arms in on the action during strength workouts.
Recover right – but don’t stay in bed all day
There is one significant difference between Swift’s training and that of most runners – and it doesn’t just come down to the size of our pay checks. While Swift hits one city and performs shows over several consecutive days, Sapper says that the rest of us should leave more time for rest and recovery.
‘My daughter, a Swiftie, and I actually discussed this after she saw the show,’ says Sapper. ‘How does Swift have the stamina to do one concert, much less a few in a row? Unlike athletes, she’s not periodising her training. The key has to be her recovery and that’s true for any athlete.’
According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, periodisation comprises training phases and cycles to reach strength and performance goals. Swift, though, has essentially done the same show on most nights for months – and that’s exhausting both physically and mentally. To recover, she told Time, she lies in bed for a full day after a stretch of shows, resting her entire body and her voice.
Most of us can’t – and probably shouldn’t – do the same as Swift, because active recovery leads to better results. Active recovery means walking, getting a massage, or doing other light activities to keep your muscles moving without straining them.
Create your own playlist to boost performance
While all of us are impressed by the musicians – like Swift (now aged 35), Beyonce (43) and Bruce Springsteen (75!) – who put on two- to three-hour shows at a time, we still aren’t surprised. That’s because music can lessen the perceived effort of running.
According to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, listening to music improves performance in endurance, sprint and resistance exercise. It’s important to listen to music that you like, though – not just the music piped into a gym. In fact, if you don’t like the playlist, you might even be discouraged from exercise.
So, even if you aren’t a diehard Swift supporter, turn up the volume on a playlist you like and start getting into your stride. You might not reach pop star status, but the beats will keep you running toward your goals.
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