The 3-2-8 method could be your new go-to fitness routine. Based on a concept combining walking, pilates, yoga and weight training, it works all parts of the body, building muscle strength and endurance.

It can be practised outdoors or at home, without the need to invest in expensive exercise equipment. The concept hails from Natalie Rose, a British pilates instructor followed by over 500,000 people on TikTok.

The technique takes its name from three key numbers: the “3” stands for the number of resistance training (muscle-building) workouts per week. The “2” represents the number of low-impact exercise sessions (low-intensity exercises, such as pilates and yoga) weekly.

Finally, “8” stands for the 8,000 steps you need to take every day to achieve this goal.

The method has become a hit on TikTok, with over 300 million views. The hashtags #328method or #328workout abound with videos of young women who practise this exercise routine, and who claim to see effects on their bodies after just three months.

There are two ways to practise the 3-2-8 method. The first is to do three resistance workouts, two pilates sessions a week, and 8,000 steps a day (included in this number of steps are three brisk walks a week).

Alternatively, you can do three pilates sessions, two more intense workouts a week, and 8,000 steps a day. You’ll need dumbbells for your pilates and strength-training sessions, and there are plenty of tutorials on social media to help you learn how to use these weights properly and safely.

Speaking with “Marie Claire” UK, the personal trainer explains that she created this method after becoming aware of the exhausting and time-consuming pace of traditional workout schedules.

“I realised that the common style of five days in the gym wasn’t very sustainable for me and a lot of the women I was training, who couldn’t commit to five intense workouts a week,” she said.

By proposing a system that alternates different exercises, like pilates with dumbbells, she hopes to enable people “to maintain consistency, while also targeting different muscle groups and improve mobility and flexibility, which aids recovery”.

So can this trend have real health benefits? The British magazine cites a study published in the journal “Sports Medicine”, which concludes that mixing different training styles, such as strength, cardio and power exercises, offers women better benefits for overall health.

And each of the 3-2-8 exercises offers different and complementary benefits for the body.

Rose also claims that the method can help remedy hormonal imbalance often caused by stress and fatigue. “Before, I had a lot of burnout, mood swings, joint pain, and injuries from overtraining and under-resting, and I was told I had a hormonal imbalance because my cortisol was so high.

“Finding pilates allowed me to restore some calm and balance and prioritise active recovery rest days, which in turn lowered my overall stress levels.”