# Scientific 7-Minute Workout

> An illustrated workout column spawned an industry of 26 smartphone apps.

- Owner: Gretchen Reynolds / The New York Times
- Kind: Trend & aesthetic
- Sector: Health & fitness
- Seed date: 2013-05-09
- Peak date: May 2013
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 72 (Viral, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Platform jump, Press loop, Controversy, Dupe economy, Maker origin

## Summary

The Times turned a journal circuit into an illustrated column. Readers shared it on Facebook and debated it on Hacker News. ABC counted 26 derivative apps; Johnson & Johnson and the Times later released their own tools.

## Timeline

- 2013-05-09 — Gretchen Reynolds (Press) — Reynolds published the illustrated Scientific 7-Minute Workout in the New York Times.
- 2013-05-13 — Good Morning America (TV) — Claire Shipman tried the circuit at Sterling Gym for Good Morning America.
- 2013-05-14 — tilt (Open web) — tilt submitted the Times article to Hacker News, where readers debated the workout.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/scientific-seven-minute-workout

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Scientific 7-Minute Workout.” Case HIS-00647. Spread Score v1.2: 72/100. Updated 2026-10-14. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00647