Trainers say cozy cardio can be a great introduction to exercise

When I first heard the term “cozy cardio,” it was like a hygge dream come true. I’m actually not far from creator Hope Zuckerbrow’s goal. For her, cozy cardio is all about combining your favorite, laid-back atmosphere with some light exercise (like walking or pilates at home). At its core, she shares, is a movement of women taking back their relationships through exercise.

There are several ways to enjoy the cozy cardio effect: You can light a candle, make your favorite pre-workout drink, set some mood lighting, or turn on your favorite Netflix channel and Hop on the treadmill to get started. Cozy cardio has as much to do with a healthy mind as it does a healthy body. This! Because! That thing!

Meet the experts:
Amanda Hart, CPT, is a NASM and ACSM certified personal trainer and holistic health coach.
Rachelle Reed, CPT, PhD, is a NASM and ACSM certified trainer with a doctorate in exercise physiology. Denise Chakoian, CPT, is the owner and founder of CORE Cycle.Fitness.Lagree. She is also a cancer exercise specialist and a fitness consultant for the store.

Since Zuckerbrow started posting about his cozy cardio routine, the trend has taken off, attracting many fans and even earning praise from the founder of The Sculpt Society, Megan Roup. The term “cozy cardio” has 17 million Google search results and growing. It’s natural to be curious about its true effectiveness.

Read on for all the details to help you understand the benefits of this TikTok trend, what trainers think about the workout, how to add cozy cardio to your routine, and more.

Is cozy cardio a good workout?

Definitely cozy cardio Maybe is an effective exercise, but it may not be the best choice for everyone. “I think someone might feel more comfortable in a session like this if they are new to exercise or if they want to lose a large amount of weight and can start this in their own home to create out to an area where they can start their journey,” said Denise Chakoian, CPT, owner and founder of CORE Cycle.Fitness.Lagree.

She added: “I think this will empower people who don’t like to exercise with others or feel that they only have time to exercise in the comfort of a small, quaint environment ”.

4 benefits of cozy cardio

• It serves as self-care. Cozy cardio can help recalibrate your relationship with exercise as a way to treat yourself. Many of us have a vague idea of ​​how active we should be, explains Amanda Hart, CPT, holistic health coach and trainer. Exercise should be enjoyed and seen as an opportunity. Instead of viewing exercise as a form of punishment or something necessary to burn off meals, warm-up cardio views the purpose of movement as a gift to yourself. Just like wearing an eye mask and a comfortable robe at the end of the day is a form of self-care, so is cozy cardio.

• It’s natural One sustainable habits. Cozy cardio is an activity you’ll actually want to do regularly because you’ve established your own ideal atmosphere in your home. They have no reason to skip their workout because it’s done in the comfort of their own home, Hart says. This can be a great solution for those who feel intimidated by the gym scene or who are short on time.

• It is accessible and welcoming. This trend doesn’t force you to spend extra money on a gym membership or subscription or go anywhere. (You could invest in a treadmill, but you don’t have to.) Additionally, working out at home offers privacy, which benefits anyone who might feel vulnerable. injury or exposure in the gym or gym. There’s no specific dress code, and you can wear whatever feels comfortable (like leggings, t-shirts, or joggers) in a judgment-free environment.

• It enhances aerobic training. As long as you hit a moderate level of intensity, you’ll see all the cardiovascular benefits, says Rachelle Reed, CPT certified personal trainer, PhD, NASM and ACSM. These include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and improving cardiorespiratory endurance (the ability of both the heart and lungs to take in oxygen and distribute it throughout the body during exercise). . Reed says high levels of cardiovascular endurance are one of the top contributing factors to longevity.

Cozy Cardio FAQ

Who should do cozy cardio?

Reed says: From a health promotion perspective, I like the idea of ​​women (or men) adding light cardiovascular exercise to their physical activity routine each week. With most adults not meeting the minimum recommended dose of aerobic activity (150 minutes per week), trends like these have a huge impact in favor of more movement, for many people. more, more often.

While jumping into cozy cardio certainly doesn’t hurt, it may not be challenging enough for everyone. It’s best suited for people who are new to exercise and want to start with small, achievable goals, says Hart. She adds that while exercising at home is extremely easy and convenient, it can hinder progress after a certain point. Eventually, you will hit a plateau and need additional stimulation to continue challenging yourself. Constant stimulation is needed to achieve continuous results!

Once you’ve established a regular workout routine, through cozy cardio or another modality, you should progress and add variety to your sweat output. It’s important to incorporate some more intense aerobic exercise and total-body strength training into your weekly routine, Reed says. Cozy cardio can be a great addition to your workout routine. Once you get into the habit of being physically active, I recommend you progress and move to a more comprehensive routine.

Is cozy cardio good for weight loss?

Cozy cardio can be part of a weight loss regimen or help kickstart it. “This type of workout can jump-start a calorie-burning journey and a steady-state program for body fat loss,” says Chakoian.

And there are many other factors to think about. “Whether it’s cozy cardio or another cardio workout, weight loss is based on calories in and calories out,” says Chakoian. For goals like losing body fat and gaining muscle, you need to make other changes as well.

How often should you do warm cardio?

Cozy cardio is low-impact, low-cost, and super convenient, says Hart, so you can definitely incorporate it every day. Unlike other more challenging TikTok workout trends, such as the 12-3-30 workout, there is little to no risk of overtraining.

While you can safely do cozy cardio every day, you’re better off taking the time to do a combination of different exercises, Reed says. That’s why she recommends doing cozy cardio only a few days a week to get the benefits. To optimize your week, add one day of more intense cardio and two days of strength training to enhance metabolic conditioning and musculoskeletal health.

While exercising from the comfort of your home certainly has many benefits, you’re missing out on the community motivation and accountability of a group, Chakoian says. “When you train with a group of people with similar goals or in a facility with a strong community, you can all help hold each other accountable,” she says. “It has more lasting positive results and helps your mental health in general.”

Bottom line: Cozy cardio is a low-impact, at-home workout trend that’s a great way to get more movement during your day and can be part of a well-rounded fitness routine. However, in the long run, it may not be challenging enough for everyone.

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