Could soft fitness be your workout game-changer?

Time to rethink your workout

According to fitness pros, a new wave of lower-intensity training has arrived and it’s set to deliver major body and mind gains. 

Oh, I didn’t jog for long.” “The class was good, but I took a few breaks.” Looking back, I don’t remember when disclaimers started creeping into my fitness vocab. You know the ones? Where we undermine ourselves over a workout that somehow doesn’t feel hardcore or dripping-with-sweat enough to ‘count’.

This mindset might be why my exercise motivation can flake faster than a mid-week dinner date. So, when the ‘soft fitness’ trend started emerging on my socials recently, I was instantly intrigued.

A kinder antidote to the go-hard-or-go-home mentality, this quiet revolution celebrates the pure joy of movement and ultimately puts your headspace and happiness first – perfect for those of us who want to move more without, well, combusting.

“I love the concept of soft fitness,” says Austin Smith, exercise physiologist and National Clinical Lead at Guardian Exercise Rehabilitation.

“Over the years, the perception has been that intense, gruelling workouts are the only ones that count, but that’s definitely not the case. ‘No pain, no gain’ is old news. Health should be about sustainability, enjoyment and aligning with what makes you feel good. The reality is that gentle or ‘soft’ movement can provide significant benefits for both body and mind.”

Dialling down the pace can improve focus on form and reduce injury risk, notes Smith, while still showing your cardiovascular health plenty of love. New research published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews also uncovered a strong association between low-to-moderate activity and greater mental wellbeing.

There’s magic on the self-care front, too. As Dr Maria-Elena Lukeides, clinical psychologist at The Wellness Fountain, shares: “Any activity that emphasises being kind to ourselves is a positive thing. Soft fitness encourages a mind-body connection and shifts the focus from aesthetic goals to how movement makes you feel.”

More great news: whatever your workout preference, there’s a route to a softer side. Ready to find yours? Read on.

This mindset might be why my exercise motivation can flake faster than a mid-week dinner date. Image: Pexels

If you like walking try… Soft hiking

What it is: Moving through nature focusing on mindfulness rather than having to rack up top stats on Strava. 

If your dream step count is more ‘relaxed’ than ‘race to the top’, soft hiking is worth dusting off a backpack for. The vibe? Hiking doesn’t have to be strenuous or push us to the extreme; it can simply be about the fun of navigating nature – no rush, no pressure.

“Soft hiking is about the experience, not the pace,” say Emily Thornton and Lucy Hird, who created the Soft Girls Who Hike community – 39,000 TikTok followers and counting) after struggling to keep up with more seasoned hikers. “Relax, take in your surroundings and stop if you need to. There’s no competition, no need to reach the summit or hit a specific distance.”

Not only does this nudge us to soak up the mental wellbeing benefits of The Great Outdoors, soft hiking draws on a style of movement called ‘low-intensity steady state’, or LISS. “LISS refers to low-to-moderate intensity for a sustained period of time, normally 30 minutes or more,” explains Smith. “While it may not give the explosive strength and some of the quick returns of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), it can help to build endurance and fitness. 

I’m a huge fan; we prescribe LISS for elite athletes to work on their aerobic base.” A study in Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found that both HIIT and LISS sparked fitness gains (including increased power and VO2 max), but the majority of participants enjoyed the latter more.

As for truly harnessing the power of play, Basta encourages experimenting with different activities to find what lights you up beyond a particular goal. Image: iStock

If you like fitness challenges try… 75 Soft 

What it is: A 75-day challenge which is far less extreme than the hardcore version that inspired it.

Scroll socials for long enough and you’ll stumble across 75 Hard – the viral 75-day fitness challenge that involves twice-daily 45-minute workouts, strict nutrition rules and more. Well, consider 75 Soft a more doable, arguably kinder alternative that’s gaining major TikTok traction (#75softchallenge featured on over 99,000 posts at last count).

This gentler modified version, popularised by fitness influencer Stephen Gallagher, encourages eating well and only drinking on social occasions, upping water intake, reading 10 pages of any book and exercising for 45 minutes daily (one day a week is active recovery). So, for those of us who don’t want to go hard or go home, could 75 Soft be just the fitness ticket we’re looking for?

Totally, says Smith. “I love the accessibility compared to its more extreme counterpart, and how it prioritises consistency over intensity,” he notes, adding the rigidity and restriction of 75 Hard could be problematic for some. “This softer version feels more realistic, enjoyable and sustainable for the majority. I don’t think it’s something that will get you into a state of overwhelm.” 

Smith recommends lots of movement variety to keep things fresh, as well as allowing for flexibility. “Rules and commitment can be helpful, but what’s more important is checking in and listening to what your body needs – whether it’s a day off and continuing tomorrow or staying on it for the whole time,” he says.

I put the 75 Soft challenge to the test and, a week in, I’ve done YouTube dance workouts (check out The Fitness Marshall for epic tunes and a self-care vibe), LISSed along to a podcast on an exercise bike, trampolined with my five-year-old nephew and ticked off two dumbbell sessions. It’s the most consistently I’ve moved for ages, and while it does take effort to build routine, the kinder ethos makes it feel more fun and somehow pressure free. Let’s see how the next 68 days go – if only to finally get my book finished.

Playfulness is well and truly infiltrating the fitness scene – from a fresh wave of adult ‘soft play’ spots (hey, ball pits and inflatables) to the rise of creative ‘animal flow’ bodyweight workouts. Image: Pexels

If you like strength training try... Soft play

What it is: Workouts with a major focus on fun, from CircusFit, dance and trampolining to bodyweight moves.

Playfulness is well and truly infiltrating the fitness scene – from a fresh wave of adult ‘soft play’ spots (hey, ball pits and inflatables) to the rise of creative ‘animal flow’ bodyweight workouts. This nostalgic sense of fun and freedom helps us to enjoy the process as much as the prize.

“With exercise, we often place emphasis on the goal – lose weight, gain muscle – which can ultimately strip some joy out of movement,” explains Dr Lukeides. “But, when we make it playful… it can trigger the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, while at the same time strengthening the neural pathways associated with pleasure and movement. Over time, we can literally rewire our brains to associate physical activity with joy rather than obligation.” 

This pays off physically, too, says Laura Basta, Head of Fitness at Sydney wellness boutique, One Playground, which offers play-dedicated classes from calisthenics to CircusFit – think strength and flexibility with a side of aerial trapezing. “People have so much fun, they don’t realise they’re working out,” Basta tells me. 

I mention clambering around the trampoline park with my nephew, which sparks buckets of joy before I even register the sweat-breaking part. “You’re using different muscle types, gaining coordination and agility,” she says. “It’s about exposing your body to a diverse range of movements.” 

As for truly harnessing the power of play, Basta encourages experimenting with different activities to find what lights you up beyond a particular goal. Because that’s the core of soft fitness, really: more than any specific workout, it’s about moving from a place of self-kindness in a way that feels good for you. Sounds like a mindset shift I can totally get on board with. 

Originally published as Could soft fitness be your workout game-changer?