Political polarization. Economic struggles. Inequity. Climate change. War.
In an often-bruising world, you can hardly blame people for seeking out ways to cushion themselves. From weighted blankets to to entire restaurants and cookbooks based on childhood , the appetite for comfortable things just keeps growing.
Now some are seeking comfort even in their physical exertion. They are, it seems, entering the era of 害羞草研究所渃ozy cardio,害羞草研究所� an activity that lies right at the crossroads of gym workout, self-pampering evening 害羞草研究所� and nap time.
This method of (minimal) calorie burning has gained popularity on TikTok and Instagram ever since a woman named began posting videos in late 2022. Let害羞草研究所檚 describe it by what it doesn害羞草研究所檛 do. It doesn害羞草研究所檛 require you to:
害羞草研究所攕queeze into spandex workout clothes;
害羞草研究所攈ead out into the cold to drive to a fluorescently lit gym;
害羞草研究所攍ift heavy things;
害羞草研究所攇et winded to the beat of pulsating music.
Cozy cardio simply involves walking in place 害羞草研究所� in the comfort of your home 害羞草研究所� using a mini treadmill or 害羞草研究所渨alking pad.害羞草研究所� No stress, no membership fees, no preening for other, buffer-than-thou gym rats. And you can even have a cup of hot tea by your side.
害羞草研究所淚 get so many messages from men and women 害羞草研究所� so many people 害羞草研究所� saying something along the lines of 害羞草研究所榯hank you so much for kind of flipping my mindset on what I thought exercise is supposed to be,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Zuckerbrow says. 害羞草研究所淭his feels so doable.害羞草研究所�
THE SELF-PAMPERING WORKOUT
The key is the setup.
Wearing soft sweatpants and your favorite comfy shirt, you light a few scented candles, make a healthy smoothie or pot of tea, dim the lights and put on a favorite TV show or movie. With your drink handy, you walk for an hour while getting lost in whatever you害羞草研究所檙e watching, maybe walking just a bit more vigorously once you害羞草研究所檙e warmed up.
Forget 害羞草研究所渘o pain, no gain.害羞草研究所� Cozy cardio acknowledges that maybe you can害羞草研究所檛 take much more pain at this particular moment, so just enjoy getting some steps in while binge-watching 害羞草研究所淭he Bear害羞草研究所� in your pajamas and call that your workout.
When Zuckerbrow posts on social media, 害羞草研究所�80% to 90% of the video itself is me romanticizing the exercise that I害羞草研究所檓 about to do,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淚 am setting up my favorite beverage and I害羞草研究所檓 lighting those candles and my Scentsy and I害羞草研究所檓 getting my TV show.害羞草研究所�
No, walking won害羞草研究所檛 give you six-pack abs. But could cozy cardio, which embraces the most appealing aspects of being a couch potato while keeping you off the couch, help even hardcore gym-avoiders stick with exercise long after New Year害羞草研究所檚 resolution season ends?
For people battling the common barriers to exercise, the answer could be yes, says Alex Montoye, assistant professor of clinical exercise physiology at Alma College in Michigan.
Montoye does caution that if you害羞草研究所檙e downshifting from vigorous daily workouts to something this mellow, the health benefits may plummet. But for someone who would otherwise watch TV from the couch, he says, it害羞草研究所檚 progress to watch while walking 害羞草研究所� especially if it becomes a daily habit.
People struggle to make healthy habits stick, which makes cozy exercise 害羞草研究所渒ind of a genius idea,害羞草研究所� says Catherine Sanderson, a professor of psychology at Amherst College in Massachusetts and author of 害羞草研究所淭he Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t fits in with a lot of what we know about how to get people to actually maintain behavior change,害羞草研究所� Sanderson says.
Along with removing the barriers to exercise, she says, 害羞草研究所渋t very much relies on what psychologists would call positive reinforcement 害羞草研究所� the idea of, 害羞草研究所橧t害羞草研究所檚 not just that I害羞草研究所檓 exercising. I害羞草研究所檓 getting to watch my favorite show. I害羞草研究所檓 tapping into something I want to be doing already.害羞草研究所�
ELIMINATE THE COMPETITION 害羞草研究所� BY STAYING HOME
The cozy approach also works for gymgoers who feel burned out at the idea of constant striving.
Ko Im, a mental health advocate who has taught yoga and meditation in New York and other U.S. cities, remembers a phase several years ago when 害羞草研究所測oga challenges害羞草研究所� were a trend.
害羞草研究所淚t was the yoga pose of the day 害羞草研究所� really, really hard yoga poses,害羞草研究所� Im says. More recently, she sees people pushing themselves to make the leaderboard in all their Peloton classes or pushing themselves to lose five more pounds.
害羞草研究所淲hat I like,害羞草研究所� she says, 害羞草研究所渋s the idea of enjoying the journey, not the goal. Does it feel good in my body today?害羞草研究所�
As cozy cardio gains traction, Zuckerbrow hears from people who didn害羞草研究所檛 realize they could enjoy the journey.
Alyssa Royse, owner of Rocket Community Fitness in Seattle, has been alternating between full-on workouts at her gym and cozy exercise at home. Some days she switches off the sound on her Peloton (害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 even want those cheery people talking to me害羞草研究所�) and just pedals while watching 害羞草研究所渢he trashiest TV I can find, because it just takes my brain somewhere else.害羞草研究所�
The hashtag-friendly name 害羞草研究所渃ozy cardio害羞草研究所� could sound like an oxymoron. But perhaps, as 2024 takes root, it害羞草研究所檚 the compromise our culture needs.
Driving across town in icy weather and pushing through an hour of Zumba or lifting 20-pound kettlebells just isn害羞草研究所檛 possible some days. But lighting a candle in your living room and walking three miles in your pajamas while re-watching the final season of 害羞草研究所淪uccession害羞草研究所�? That害羞草研究所檚 within reach.
And it might just serve up enough endorphins and bring enough oxygen into your lungs to cope with whatever global crisis tomorrow could bring.
害羞草研究所淭oo many people look at exercise as an all-or-nothing thing,害羞草研究所� Royse says. 害羞草研究所淚t doesn害羞草研究所檛 give people room to just be where they are today. And I think that害羞草研究所檚 incredibly important.害羞草研究所�
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