A lazier way to workout is going viral
There’s a new “lazy” trend that Gen Zers are embracing and it going viral online because it is so different.
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There’s a new lazier way to workout going viral — focusing on workouts that prioritise being comfortable over pain.
The gentler approach to working out has been dubbed ‘cosy cardio’. Digital creator Hope Zuckerbrow coined it and she’s preaching a more peaceful way to work up a sweat.
The idea is that working out doesn’t have to be about experiencing pain to gain, strapping yourself into tight leggings and hitting the gym hard.
It is less about gym selfies in neon activewear and more about snuggling in your robe while taking yourself for a little walk.
Millennial women famously embraced fitness content online and it was all about looking sexy, being empowered and wearing expensive activewear.
It was the time of Tammy Hembrow, who amassed millions of followers by sharing her workouts and fun gym looks.
Now a softer approach to creating healthy habits is resonating with Gen Zers.
Zuckerbrow said she started the trend not to promote weight loss but to “heal” her relationship with exercise.
The workout side of the internet can often be aimed at people pushing themselves hard to get results, but Zuckerbrow’s approach is the polar opposite.
“It’s 5am, and I’m watching The Kardashians,” she explains in one cosy video.
Her workout videos don’t feature her heavily sweating while trying to reach fitness goals in a gym.
Instead, she’ll show her followers that she’s lighting a candle to create a mood, wearing fuzzy socks to be comfortable and walking on a treadmill watching one of her favourite movies. She’ll also share how she gets the right mood light and how she makes her morning treats like iced coffees or smoothies.
It is all about creating a pleasant and welcoming aesthetic and turning working out into an experience that is actually about comfort.
Her unique approach has racked up millions of views on TikTok, and plenty of young women have praised the creator.
“This is so smart. Like, why does a workout have to be in a cold, sterile environment,” someone commented.
“Watching our generation find simple yet unique ways to support our bodies and bring joy into movement is so nice,” another praised.
“This is the gentlest, self-love approach to fitness I have ever witnessed,” someone wrote.
Zuckerbrow’s easygoing approach to exercise has started a movement online, and now young women are sharing their versions of cosy cardio.
Gen Zers have turned working out into an act of self-care.
Creator Nikki recently shared that her cardio is so cosy that she uses it to catch up on her reading.
“I have my water, coffee, and Kindle,” she explained.
She then shared with her followers the unique set-up that allows her to catch up on some reading while still getting her step count up for the day.
“I have got no shot at getting in my 10k steps a day unless I start it off like this. Making it as easy and vibe and comfortable as possible,” she revealed.
She said that by making exercise comfortable, it goes by “so fast,” and she’d highly recommend it.
The internet is now a cuddly cesspit of women sharing the comforting ways they’ve started incorporating exercise into their lives.
One creator shared that cosy cardio made her realise that exercise doesn’t need to be “boring,” she’d now started watching Sex and The City while attempting to get her steps up.
Another admitted she had started “tricking” herself into working out by watching Gilmore Girls and drinking wine while walking on her treadmill.
Someone else shared that she does weights while lying down with a blanket over her and watching YouTube.
“I was feeling super tired and wanted to work my muscles a little. I literally got under my blanket, lay on the floor, and did exercises I could do laying on the floor,” she revealed.
Meanwhile, someone explained that cosy cardio was her new “obsession” for when the weather gets “icky”. She claimed it also helped her keep a routine in winter.
Slowing down has become the new way to work out.
Originally published as A lazier way to workout is going viral
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