"Most of us are used to the “no pain, no gain” 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 wasn’t an intense draining 60-minute session, it didn’t “count.” But the truth is that seeing fitness as a punishment or exhausting chore isn’t helpful. It can actually lead to a bad relationship with exercise, an overfatigued body, or a lack of motivation. If you’ve 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 you’re lazy or don’t have willpower. The problem may be the way you’re defining exercise.
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More and more, people are leaning into a kinder and genuinely more joyful way to think of fitness, as seen in the viral trend “cozy cardio,” 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. “Cozy cardio was originally created to heal my own relationship with exercise, but it quickly turned into a form of meditational self-love… it’s meant to help you enjoy movement again,” 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 “cozy cardio” is all about, its benefits, and how to try it out for yourself.
What Is “Cozy Cardio?”
According to Zuckerbrow, cozy cardio is a way to think of exercise with the goal for women to reclaim their relationships with exercise. It’s a softer, more laid-back approach to fitness, prioritizing exercise that feels less like a workout and more like a fun activity. In Zuckerbrow’s 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 “Cozy Comfort” candle (rather on brand)—fuzzy 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 “count.” “Society puts pressure on women to look a certain way, and because of that, they’ve turned exercise into a form of punishment,” 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 don’t have to force yourself into a sweat session at the gym if you’re 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.
“Cozy cardio was originally created to heal my own relationship with exercise, but it quickly turned into a form of meditational self-love… it’s meant to help you enjoy movement again.”
What are the Benefits?
It’s 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 you’re crunched on time, you can shave off at least five to 10 minutes by engaging in cozy cardio in your judgment-free living room—time 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 don’t have to work out—you 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.
It’s aerobic training
By engaging in moderate-intensity cozy cardio (it feels somewhat challenging, but you’re not completely exhausted), you’re practicing a continuous activity that uses your body’s large muscle groups and increases your heart rate, leading to many potential health benefits—from 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 you’re more of a night owl. Don’t 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 “me” time, working out in a class setting or with a ride-or-die friend adds the accountability and social connection factors—both of which contribute to long-term physical and mental health perks.
Katherine Chang, Wellness Staff Writer
Katherine Chang is The Everygirl’s 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.