Exclusive: TikTok star Allie Bennett reveals how her career has evolved since starting viral treadmill Strut: 'It's a lot of fun'

TikTok star Allie Bennett she was walking on the treadmill and scrolling through the app when she heard “When I Grow Up” by the Pussycat Dolls. In that moment, she realized that she was walking in exactly the same rhythm as the song. From there, she got an idea that this it could be a series.

Bennett followed his hunch and released a video of his workout instructions that went viral. She shared her own playlist and how fast people should go, based on beats per minute. “I never expected anything to come of it. It was more like, ‘Hey, I should tell people about this.’ And then people wanted more, and I gave them more,” the social media star, who she collaborated withOrange Fitness Theory to launch his viral #TreadmillStrut workout at his more than 1,500 studios worldwide, exclusively tells Morning honey.

“It was incredible,” she says of the response. “I’ve gotten sweet messages and comments from people saying, ‘This is what keeps me going.’ When I was younger, I was trying to find a way to do this move my body that didn’t make me worry, i don’t look the way i should. Every time I get a sweet message, it’s so touching. As long as a person’s life has been slightly improved by my videos, then I’ve done my job.”

Before appearing on TikTok, Bennett was always fit. “During the quarantine I was doing all these dance cardio videos on YouTube, and when I was younger, I loved making videos. It was really fun to immerse myself in that.”

“I’m excited to keep seeing what happens because when I first started posting videos, I never thought it would get this big,” she notes. “I did it an interview last year where I said I would never do it full time and then a month later I quit my job – and now I’m doing it full time. It’s a fun time in my life where I see where the wind takes me. It is the most fulfilling thing to make people happy. Is very funny.”

As for how Bennett creates his playlists, he’d listen to an artist’s entire discography in the gym and then find the perfect songs to tear apart. “So, it would turn into this movie program, editing, walking on the treadmill, seeing what works. Now I look up the beats per minute and sort them out before trying it. It’s constantly evolving”, he shares.

Now, both fans and followers who want to strut like Bennett can, like Orange Fitness Theory partnered with her to roll out her viral #TreadmillStrut workout at her more than 1,500 studios worldwide.

The class will premiere on April 5, which is National Walking Day.

“Because my workouts are all about fun and moving the body, Orangetheory Fitness works in a similar way. It was the perfect complement and worked great,” Bennett explains. “They contacted National Walking Day earlier this year and we decided pretty quickly that it was the ideal way to get people involved moving and grooving.”

“I feel like some people might not consider walking as a workout, but a lot of people have said so the class is really effective and you get sweaty!” she adds. “I love the playlist, which features many of the songs I’ve used on my strutting walks. The energy in the room was also amazing, and everyone is energized. I could feel how much fun everyone was having. It’s amazing to be able to work with a fitness brand that sees me in the eye.”

Ultimately, Bennett hopes to “bring some sunshine” into someone’s day. “That’s my main goal,” he says. “I just want to improve people’s lives!”

The #TreadmillStrut class will be free for all new subscribers. Join the #TreadmillStrut fun by signing up for any class scheduled on April 5 at a local studio via www.orangetheory.com or the App Orange theory.