Taylor Swift's fitness routine involves singing her own songs on a treadmill

Try this out next time you hit the gym

Ever been left breathless after a 20-minute karaoke session? You don’t need to be a world-touring artist to know the stamina needed to perform. Here’s how one of the industry’s best trains for a flawless setlist. 

If you haven’t already noticed, Taylor Swift has been having a pretty big year. Yes, the chart-dominating artist has long been a household name thanks to her contributions to the music industry and gripping personal life, but 2023 has well and truly cemented the star to supernova status.

Hot off the heels of a new headline-breaking romance with NFL player Travis Kelce, Swift’s current global tour has seen her gracefully take to the world's biggest stages all year. Oh, and if her year wasn’t already one to remember, Swift has just been named Time Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year. It really doesn’t get better than that.

Watching Swift perform just one show, it’s hard to comprehend exactly how the singer repeats her high-energy routine night after night. But now, thanks to an interview with Time Magazine, the 33-year-old’s stamina secrets and training regime have been revealed.

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All year, swifties from all around the world have taken turns being glued to their screens in a desperate attempt to lock in a coveted pass to Swift’s ‘The Eras’ world tour. Whether you managed to get your hands on tickets to her upcoming Australian leg or not, you’ve no doubt seen video footage of the star’s high-energy, flawless performances so far. 

The tour, a curated setlist of Swift’s all-time greatest hits, effortless costume changes and stunning choreography, is a true testament to the star’s musical versatility and captivating performance ability. But hidden behind all the glitter and glam (and her signature red lip), is months of hardcore preparation and training. 

Here’s the gruelling training plan Swift followed to get– and stay– tour-ready. 

Taylor’s hardcore workout 

Six months before her first show in March this year, Swift embarked on a gruelling gym regime designed to boost the star’s stamina and strength, “I knew this tour was harder than anything I’d ever done before by a long shot,” Swift tells Time. “I finally, for the very first time, physically prepared correctly.” 

Using a treadmill as her gym weapon of choice, the singer trained on various speed settings while singing her tour setlist out loud, “Fast for fast songs, and a jog or a fast walk for slow songs,” she explains. 

In addition to her vocal cardio sessions, the singer trained at celeb-fave gym, Dogpound, as well as took dance classes to brush up on her coordination and choreography. Swift has been vocal about her lack of natural choreographic ability before, even being scrutinised for her ‘awkward’ dance moves at awards shows, so nailing her tour performances was a priority for the singer. 

“I wanted to get it in my bones. I wanted to be so over-rehearsed that I could be silly with the fans, and not lose my train of thought, she says.”

Taylor's shows are filled with choreography, costume changes and elaborate stage setups. Image: Instagram/@taylorswift

No champagne problems for Taylor

Swift’s tour prep included more than just regular treadmill sessions. The singer essentially embarked on a total health overhaul, abstaining from alcohol in the lead-up, and during, her global tour. 

Given the challenge of performing through a three-hour and 15-minute show each night is already well beyond the regular parameters of human ability, powering through a hangover each day was never something Swift wanted to experience, “I don't want to know that world,” she says.

Though she gave herself a night off to properly celebrate her triumph at the Grammy Awards, consistency with her strict routine was an essential factor in delivering a quality show to her fans each night. 

“I know I'm not drinking on tour. I know I'm working out in between shows. I know I'm keeping my strength and stamina up. I know I'm going on that stage whether I'm sick, injured, heartbroken, uncomfortable, or stressed,” she shares. “That’s part of my identity as a human being now. If someone buys a ticket to my show, I’m going to play it unless we have some sort of force majeure.” 

Taylor, you need to calm down

The intensity required to train and perform at such a high-stakes level night after night would naturally take its toll on anyone– even the super-human Swift. So how does the singer wind down and take care of her body in between her time-stopping performances?

Since the start of her 2023 tour, Swift has generally performed three back-to-back shows in every city she visits, with designated off days to allow for much-needed rest and recuperation. 

During these “dead days”, as she refers to them, Swift says she barely moves, only leaving her bed to source her snacks, “It’s a dream scenario,” she says. “I can barely speak because I’ve been singing for three shows straight.”

“Every time I take a step my feet go crunch, crunch, crunch from dancing in heels. But it's the most fulfilled I've ever felt,” adds Swift.

Originally published as Taylor Swift's fitness routine involves singing her own songs on a treadmill