Most of us are used to the âno pain, no gainâ mindset when it comes to fitness. We were taught that we had to burn the max amount of calories or feel sweaty and tired by the end of a workout to achieve results. Maybe you even felt like if it wasnât an intense draining 60-minute session, it didnât âcount.â But the truth is that seeing fitness as a punishment or exhausting chore isnât helpful. It can actually lead to a bad relationship with exercise, an overfatigued body, or a lack of motivation. If youâve been struggling to get yourself to the gym or dread the HIIT workout you have planned, the problem is not you. The problem is not that youâre lazy or donât have willpower. The problem may be the way youâre defining exercise.
More and more, people are leaning into a kinder and genuinely more joyful way to think of fitness, as seen in the viral trend âcozy cardio,â or approaching exercise with a mind-first focus and romanticizing the experience so you actually want to work out. Think of it like gentle-parenting your body to optimal fitness instead of punishing or forcing it into workouts. âCozy cardio was originally created to heal my own relationship with exercise, but it quickly turned into a form of meditational self-love⦠itâs meant to help you enjoy movement again,â explained the original creator of cozy cardio, Hope Zuckerbrow (@hope_zuckerbrow). Could this exercise reframe make cardio actually enjoyable? Read on to find out what âcozy cardioâ is all about, its benefits, and how to try it out for yourself.Â
What Is âCozy Cardio?â
According to Zuckerbrow, cozy cardio is a way to think of exercise with the goal for women to reclaim their relationships with exercise. Itâs a softer, more laid-back approach to fitness, prioritizing exercise that feels less like a workout and more like a fun activity. In Zuckerbrowâs case, it means doing some cardio in your favorite cozy outfits, watching your favorite shows, and drinking your favorite beverages like an iced coffee or PSL.
The TikTok creator introduced the concept in a video that walks us through her morning routine: fill a water bottle, make iced coffee, and light a âCozy Comfortâ candle (rather on brand)âfuzzy flamingo socks included. Cozy cardio is just as much about setting a vibe as it is about the actual cardio itself. Zuckerbrow warms up by walking at a comfortable pace on her walking pad while finding something to watch (a go-to comfort show, ideally), then varies intensity throughout the 40-minute session before ending with a 10-minute cool-down.
Pajamas and a vibey atmosphere (read: candles and a feel-good show or movie) is a stark difference from fitness past: matching sports bras and leggings, blasting motivating music, and sweating for 60 minutes for a workout to âcount.â âSociety puts pressure on women to look a certain way, and because of that, theyâve turned exercise into a form of punishment,â Zuckerbrow said in another video. Cozy cardio is one example of the much-needed shift to move in whatever way feels good to you, recognizing that stress relief and joy are crucial parts of life, too. As Zuckerbrow demonstrates, you donât have to force yourself into a sweat session at the gym if youâre not feeling it or if your body is craving a different form of movement or slowing down. Instead of draining or intense, exercise can actually be, well, cozy.Â
âCozy cardio was originally created to heal my own relationship with exercise, but it quickly turned into a form of meditational self-love⦠itâs meant to help you enjoy movement again.â
What are the Benefits?
Itâs sustainable
Cozy cardio eliminates the need to leave your home to get a workout in, not to mention the intimidation factor and cost of going to the gym or a new class. You set the tone, atmosphere, intensity, and time to your liking, giving you more incentive to stay consistent with a workout regimen. Plus, if youâre crunched on time, you can shave off at least five to 10 minutes by engaging in cozy cardio in your judgment-free living roomâtime that you can put toward your workout or doing something else for yourself.
It doubles as self-care
Instead of seeing exercise as a form of punishment or a means to burn calories, cozy cardio shifts the workout mindset to doing something enjoyable for yourself; you donât have to work outâyou get to move your body in a way that feels good to you. Self-care is not just bubble baths and face masks; it can take the form of any activity that feeds your well-being and happiness, cozy cardio included.
Itâs aerobic training
By engaging in moderate-intensity cozy cardio (it feels somewhat challenging, but youâre not completely exhausted), youâre practicing a continuous activity that uses your bodyâs large muscle groups and increases your heart rate, leading to many potential health benefitsâfrom improving your muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility to enhancing your mental function to lowering your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
How to Try It
Customize your cozy cardio routine
While Zuckerbrow starts her day with an early morning cozy cardio sesh, you can adapt the routine in the evening and recreate a similarly dim, cushy environment if youâre more of a night owl. Donât have a walking pad? No problem. Switch out the walking with another low-impact, low-intensity form of movement like a light yoga flow or a circuit of bodyweight squats and jumping rope.
Set the right ambiance
As for the vibe (a crucial part of cozy cardio), the goal is to set a relaxing setting in the comfort of your own home that feels calming and pleasurable to you, as opposed to the harsh lighting and intense music you might find in a gym setting. That might look like dimming the lights and turning on a comfort show or podcast episode, or it could entail lighting your favorite candle and donning your coziest pair of sweats.
Incorporate it with various workouts
While there are no known risks to doing cozy cardio every day, pairing it with strength training, core movements, balance exercises, and flexibility and stretching makes it a well-balanced fitness routine. And although cozy cardio can be considered âmeâ time, working out in a class setting or with a ride-or-die friend adds the accountability and social connection factorsâboth of which contribute to long-term physical and mental health perks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katherine Chang, Wellness Staff Writer
Katherine Chang is The Everygirlâs Wellness Staff Writer with over five years of experience in the health and wellness space. She navigates the latest wellness topics and trends through studies, articles, and is always first in line to try them firsthand.
