When it comes to exercising, cardio is one of the least favorite activities for most people. It denotes, either a rigid 10-km trail around the neighborhood or a yawn-inducing session at the treadmill you couldn’t wait to end quickly.
But what if there’s a kinder and gentler way to do cardio? One that you can look forward to, and can actually have fun with.
Enter cozy cardio, a term popularized by Tiktok content creator Hope Zuckerbrow of Paradise, Texas, USA.
In her Tiktok videos, which have garnered 34 million likes and counting, Zuckerbrow is often seen starting her cardio on her walking pad in her living room lit by colorful lights and lava lamps, and aromatherapy candles. She’s wearing a pajama and fuzzy slippers. She happily looks for a nice TV show to watch as she sips her favorite protein coffee drink. After thirty minutes, she’s done, and voila, cozy cardio is born.
“I realized I need to heal my relationship with exercise,” says Zuckerbrow in her interview with CNN Life. “Exercise wasn’t fun anymore, and I was only moving to lose weight, not to feel good or be healthy. I wanted to spark joy when it came to movement.”
What is cozy cardio?
Cozy cardio is exactly what Zuckerbrow what showing in her Tiktok videos, though of course, one is feel to improvise and reinterpret what “cozy” is for you.
To have a cozy cardio, all you need is already in the comfort of your own home.
- A cozy space (with aromatherapy)
- A tasty drink
- A TV Show, movie or podcast
- A low-impact easy movement that makes you feel good (for Zuckerbrow it’s her trusty walking pad.)
Like most things that go viral on Tiktok, cozy cardio wasn’t planned or pre-meditated. As her boyfriend wakes up early every day, Zucherbrow regularly wakes up before the crack of dawn. One day she couldn’t fall asleep again, so she decides to squeeze in a workout. Already with a coffee in her hand, sporting pajamas, she turned on the TV to continue her favorite series, but she felt like moving her body. So off she went and opened her walking pad. Before posting her video, she wrote “Cardio, but make it cozy.”
She has since wracked up a million of views and plenty of media interviews, but despite people applauding her and telling her they’ve invigorated their love for exercising, Zuckerbrow has a share of detractors or haters.
Some netizens have criticized her for not engaging in more rigorous forms of exercise.
In her defense, Zuckerbrow used to follow a rigorous workout, from which she successfully lost 100 pounds. But after regaining about half of that weight in a short span of time, she realized she was doing something wrong.
It wasn’t about loving her body or her health. The all-or-nothing attitude made her have unwarranted anxiety towards fitness. “And when I started this cozy cardio thing, it helped heal that,” she shares on The Today Show.
Zucherbrow proves that people needed to reframe the way they look at cardio, and their relationship with exercise in general. That there’s a way to make it healthy, and it starts with changing your mindset.
What the fitness experts are saying
Fitness experts figured in on cozy cardio and what Zuckerbrow has been doing.
She has gotten many glowing reviews and several thumbs-ups.
Personal Trainer at The Warrior Method Eliza Flynn loves this casual approach to fitness.
“It feels like it’s getting harder and harder to fit regular, sustainable fitness into the modern lifestyle, so anything which nudges you into regular, consistent exercise is a winner in my opinion,” she shared with healthline.
Cozy cardio is also a great option for those who prefer working out alone, or at their own pace, versus going to the gym and jumping on the energy of the people in it.
Denise Chakoian, owner and founder of CORE Cycle.Fitness.Lagree said, “That Tiktok video is really comforting.” Having seen her fair years of workout trends over the years, Chakoian saw the video and says it could have a staying power. “At the end of the day we want you to move,” she says.
Reframing the mindset
Experts agree: Zucherbrow is onto something.
Most of the time, people aspire for perfection. They want to go from zero to 10, pushing yourself to 100%.
In reality that’s easier said than done. And when your expectations fall short, one can get discouraged and forego exercise instead.
With cozy cardio, you get to be kind to yourself, more mindful, and more purposeful.
Talking about starting with baby steps, cozy cardio is a baby step, a microhabit that can turn into something sustainable.
(READ: The Power of Micro Habits: Use This To Start and Sustain a Healthier Lifestyle)
Fitness expert Meghan McFrerran, a yoga instructor for Alo Moves, applauds the flexible nature of cozy cardio. Because it can be done at home and at a short amount of time, it’s a great addition for new parents, boss babes with busy working schedules, or college students.
Because at the end of the day, moving, just move, move, move however you like, is good for you. Anything to get those endorphins going.
As for Zucherbrow, besides her Internet fame, her mindful way of doing cardio has given her a fair share of cozy benefits too. She’s now in the process of trademarking the term and making her own merchandise.
Not bad for something she started out of the comfort of her fuzzy pajamas.
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References:
Today Show: Cozy Cardio Workout on Tiktok (www.today.com)
Tiktkok’s cozy cardio trend is a relaxing way to ease into fitness: Healthline.com
CNN: the kinder and gentler way to getting fit (edition.cnn.com)
Shape.com: Is cozy cardio really effective?
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