12 Days of Christmas Workout

Counting a 12 days of Christmas workout in your head gets hard around day 8, when you are tired and the list runs 8, 7, 6 and on down. The follow-along above does the counting for you. Each card shows one set with a picture of the move, the number of reps and a form tip, and an ornament at the top fills in for every day you finish. A bell rings at the end of each day, and for most moves an AI coach from the FitCraft app calls out the new move.

How the 12 days of Christmas workout works

The workout copies the song. On day 1 you do move 1 once. On day 2 you do move 2 twice, then move 1 once. On day 3 you do 3 of move 3, 2 of move 2 and 1 of move 1. Every day adds the next move at a higher count and then counts back down to move 1, so day 12 is 12 sets, from 12 reps of move 12 down to 1 rep of move 1. Here a day means one verse of the song, and all of them run in one session.

Coaches call this kind of workout an accumulator or a ladder. All 12 days add up to 78 sets and 364 reps. Days 1 to 9 come to 45 sets and 165 reps, and days 1 to 6 to 21 sets and 56 reps, which is what the shorter options above run.

1. Pick how long and a level. About 24 minutes runs all 12 days, about 12 minutes runs days 1 to 9 and about 6 minutes runs days 1 to 6. Beginner has no jumping and uses a sturdy chair or bench for bench dips. Intermediate, Advanced and Expert need no equipment.
2. Warm up for 1 minute. Two easy moves of 25 seconds each, with a 5-second get-ready before each one.
3. Do the days. Each day starts with its new move and counts back down to move 1. Do the reps on the card, tap Finished my reps, and the next set appears. On moves that switch sides, each side counts as one rep.
4. Stretch for 1.5 minutes. Two stretches of 40 seconds. One-sided stretches switch sides halfway.
5. Do it again or move up a level. A run with no skipped sets earns a bonus and sets your time to beat. When every move feels steady, try the next level.

The song has no warm-up or stretch. This page adds both, the way workouts in the FitCraft app are built, so it runs our own version of the song workout.

The 12 days of Christmas exercises

These are the 12 moves at the Intermediate level, the default, in song order, with the reps in every set of that move and the reps it adds up to across all 12 days.

1. Burpees: 1 rep a set, 12 reps in all
2. Push-ups: 2 reps a set, 22 reps in all
3. Squats: 3 reps a set, 30 reps in all
4. Bicycle crunches: 4 reps a set, 36 reps in all
5. Jumping jacks: 5 reps a set, 40 reps in all
6. Rear lunges: 6 reps a set, 42 reps in all
7. Crunches: 7 reps a set, 42 reps in all
8. Mountain climbers: 8 reps a set, 40 reps in all
9. Glute bridges: 9 reps a set, 36 reps in all
10. Russian twists: 10 reps a set, 30 reps in all
11. Plank jacks: 11 reps a set, 22 reps in all
12. Jump squats: 12 reps a set, 12 reps in all

The other levels keep the same counting and swap the moves. Beginner starts with 1 glute bridge, 2 kneeling push-ups and 3 squats. Advanced starts with 1 burpee, 2 diamond push-ups and 3 jump squats. Expert starts with 1 skullcrusher push-up, 2 burpees and 3 jump squats.

12 days of Christmas workout table: every day at every level

Each row is one position in the song. Reps in all is how many reps that move gets over the full 12 days. Every exercise name links to its form guide.

Open a level to see all 12 days written out, with the reps for each day and the running total.

Why these moves, and why in this order

Move 1 shows up on all 12 days but only for 1 rep, so it adds up to 12 reps. Move 12 shows up only on day 12, also 12 reps in all. The moves in the middle get the most work: move 6 is done on 7 days for 6 reps and move 7 on 6 days for 7 reps, 42 reps each. From move 1 to move 12 the totals run 12, 22, 30, 36, 40, 42, 42, 40, 36, 30, 22 and 12.

That is why the hardest move at each level sits at position 1, where you do it once a day, and moves you can repeat many times, such as squats, jumping jacks, crunches and glute bridges, sit in the middle where the song piles up reps. Each level mixes legs, pushing, core and cardio, so no muscle group does all 364 reps.

Moves that switch sides, such as rear lunges, bicycle crunches and mountain climbers, only sit in even positions. Each side counts as one rep, so a set of 6 rear lunges is 3 on each leg and the sides always come out even.

• Beginner. No jumping. Kneeling push-ups, squats, sumo squats and step-n-push stand in for burpees and jumps. Bench dips need a sturdy chair or bench that cannot slide.
• Intermediate. The classic bodyweight mix: burpees, push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, lunges and core moves, with no equipment.
• Advanced. Jump squats, jump lunges, plank jacks and harder push-ups (diamond and pike).
• Expert. Skullcrusher push-ups at position 1, burpees moved up to position 2 for 22 reps, and 42 jump lunges at position 6.

How long does the 12 days of Christmas workout take?

At about 3.5 seconds a rep, the 364 reps take about 21 minutes. The page adds a 1-minute warm-up and a 1.5-minute stretch, for about 24 minutes in all. Day 12 alone is 78 reps, or about 4.5 minutes. A burpee or a jump lunge takes longer than a jumping jack, so your time will differ, and the page shows how long you took when you finish.

Where the 12 days of Christmas workout comes from

The Twelve Days of Christmas is an English cumulative carol, first printed around 1780. Each verse adds a new gift and then repeats every gift before it, so by the twelfth verse the singer has listed 364 gifts, nearly one for every day of the year. The workout borrows that count: 364 gifts become 364 reps.

Gyms, bootcamp classes and online coaches post their own versions every December, under names like the twelve days of Christmas workout, the 12 days of Xmas workout and the 12 days of Christmas workout challenge. Most number their moves 1 to 12 and pick whatever fits their equipment, which is why no two versions on the web use the same list.

Does the 12 days of Christmas workout count as exercise?

Yes. The full workout is about 24 minutes of mostly bodyweight strength work with cardio moves mixed in. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (Piercy et al. 2018) ask adults for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity a week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on 2 or more days. A full run counts as one of those strength days, and its faster parts count toward the weekly minutes. No trial has tested the 12 days format itself, but short bodyweight workouts and holiday weight have both been studied.

• Short bodyweight workouts. In Archila et al. 2021, inactive young adults did an 11-minute session of burpees, high knees, split squat jumps and squat jumps, 60 seconds each with walking in between, 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Afterward their peak oxygen uptake was higher than a control group's (34.2 vs 30.3 ml/kg/min). The groups were small: 9 people trained and 10 did not.
• Holiday weight gain. Yanovski et al. 2000 weighed 195 adults through the fall and winter. On average they gained 0.37 kg over the holiday season, less than people often claim, and the gain was not lost over the following spring and summer.
• A Christmas trial. In Mason et al. 2018, 272 adults were split into two groups for the Christmas period. One group weighed themselves regularly and got weight management tips and a list of how much physical activity it takes to burn off common festive foods and drinks. That group's weight fell by 0.13 kg on average while the comparison group's rose by 0.37 kg, an adjusted difference of 0.49 kg. Exercise was one part of that program, not all of it.

One workout will not offset a holiday, but short bodyweight sessions a few times a week can build fitness, and a daily habit is easier to keep than a big one-off effort. Our article on streak psychology covers why a run of days in a row helps, and why New Year's resolutions fail covers what makes a habit last into January. For how little exercise still counts, see our article on the minimum effective dose of exercise.

How people scale the 12 days of Christmas workout

• Stop early. Days 1 to 6 or days 1 to 9 keep the song structure in less time, and the shorter options above run them. Each extra day adds more than the one before: day 10 alone is 55 reps.
• Change the moves. Pick an easier or harder level, or swap a move you cannot do for one you know at the same position.
• Make it a daily challenge. A 12 days of Christmas fitness challenge, sometimes called the 12 days of fitmas, is a short workout on each of 12 days in a row. The 6-minute option fits it, and the page counts your streak.
• Share it with a partner. One of you does a set while the other rests, or you take turns with each day.
• Add weight. The dumbbell swaps below keep the same counting.
• Run or swim it. Runners and swimmers use the same counting with intervals or lengths in place of reps.

12 days of Christmas workout with dumbbells

The page runs bodyweight moves only, but you can swap in dumbbell moves at the same positions. These swaps work at the Intermediate level, and each links to its form guide:

• Position 2: chest presses on the floor in place of push-ups.
• Position 3: goblet squats in place of squats.
• Position 9: Romanian deadlifts in place of glute bridges.
• Position 11: bent-over rows in place of plank jacks.
• Position 12: dumbbell swings in place of jump squats.

Use a weight you could lift 15 times or more. Goblet squats at position 3 add up to 30 reps over the session, and Romanian deadlifts at position 9 add up to 36.

The 12 days of Christmas CrossFit workout

The 12 days of Christmas CrossFit workout is the same counting with gym equipment. Barbell versions use lifts such as deadlifts, hang power cleans and front squats, and other versions use dumbbell thrusters and wall walks. Each heavy rep takes longer and needs more rest, so these versions usually run longer than a bodyweight one. FitCraft does not program barbell lifts, so this page keeps to bodyweight moves. If you do a barbell version, have a coach set the weights, and pick loads you can move with clean form when you are tired.

Who should check with a doctor first

The workout is built for healthy adults. Adjust it, or check with a professional first, in these situations.

• New to exercise or coming back after a long break. Start at Beginner with the 6-minute option and rest whenever your form slips. The page waits until you tap Finished my reps. Our guide to starting from zero fitness covers the first few weeks.
• Joint pain or a current injury. Beginner has no jumping. Skip any move that hurts, and see our guide to training with joint pain for common swaps.
• High blood pressure or heart disease. Talk to your doctor first, especially about hard bursts such as burpees and jump lunges.
• Pregnancy and the months after birth. Follow your care team on which moves to use and how hard to work. Our postpartum fitness guide has more context.
• Bench dips. Use a sturdy chair or bench that cannot slide, with its back against a wall.

Stop the workout if you feel chest pain, dizziness or sharp joint pain.

Related reading

References

1. Yanovski JA, Yanovski SZ, Sovik KN, Nguyen TT, O'Neil PM, Sebring NG. "A prospective study of holiday weight gain." New England Journal of Medicine. 2000;342(12):861-867. doi:10.1056/NEJM200003233421206
2. Mason F, Farley A, Pallan M, Sitch A, Easter C, Daley AJ. "Effectiveness of a brief behavioural intervention to prevent weight gain over the Christmas holiday period: randomised controlled trial." BMJ. 2018;363:k4867. doi:10.1136/bmj.k4867
3. Archila LR, Bostad W, Joyner MJ, Gibala MJ. "Simple Bodyweight Training Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness with Minimal Time Commitment: A Contemporary Application of the 5BX Approach." International Journal of Exercise Science. 2021;14(3):93-100. PMC8136567
4. Piercy KL, Troiano RP, Ballard RM, et al. "The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans." JAMA. 2018;320(19):2020-2028. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854

How this follow-along differs from typical 12 days of Christmas workouts

Most 12 days of Christmas workouts are a list of 12 exercises and an instruction to count back down, and you keep track of where you are in your head or on a whiteboard. This page runs the count for you: one card per set with a picture of the move, the reps and a form tip, a tap when you finish, and the next set ready. It adds a warm-up and a stretch the song does not have, gives you four levels with their own moves, and shows the length in minutes before you start.

It also places the moves on purpose. The hardest move of each level sits where it is done least, the easy high-rep moves sit in the middle where the song piles up reps, and moves that switch sides only get even counts. It turns the workout into a small game too, with XP for every set, combos, a bell for every finished day, a time to beat and a daily streak kept only on your device. For more workouts like this without equipment, see our comparison of the best no-equipment workout apps.