Share on Pinterest Ton Photograph/AFP via Getty ImagesA new exercise trend known as Cozy Cardio is encouraging people to take a gentler approach to working out by creating cozy exercise environments. There are many ways to get involved such as lighting a candle, playing soothing music, and enjoying your favorite protein drink while you complete a gentle cardio workout. Experts say this trend could help you build sustainable health and fitness habits. Cardio can improve your heart health and contribute to weight loss.

Cozy Cardio a new trend that takes a kinder, gentler approach to exercise has emerged on social media. And, if you find intense exercise routines intimidating, it may be an excellent way to get fit.

Rather than putting yourself through a grueling workout, Cozy Cardio is all about making exercise an enjoyable and accessible everyday activity.

It involves creating a calm and cozy exercise environment and completing a cardio workout, usually from the comfort of your own home.

TikTok creator Hope Zuckerbrow popularized the trend when she first posted her morning cardio routine on the platform.

Her early morning cardio session involved lighting a candle, making an iced coffee, and donning fluffy socks, before walking at a gentle pace on her walking pad for 40 minutes, with a romcom on in the background.

Since then, many social media users have shared their own Cozy Cardio routines. There are many ways to get involved in the trend, like wearing your favorite loose-fitting clothing, lighting a candle, or playing soothing music while you workout.

Cozy Cardio certainly sounds like a more gentle and accessible way to get fit. But is it effective? How cozy cardio can up your fitness game

Ellie Crawley, an online strength and conditioning coach and founder of Feel Fit, says Cozy Cardio is about stripping away the idea of no pain, no gain and moving towards exercise that places an emphasis on overall wellbeing.

In doing so, it makes fitness more accessible and allows you to build sustainable health habits.

Not everyone feels confident working out, and so creating a comfortable space as Cozy Cardio encourages you to do can mean the difference in starting a fitness habit and putting it off, she notes.

Cozy Cardio can be a great starting point, because the more you do it, the more confidence youll build, and who knows where that might lead.

Likewise, Eliza Flynn, a personal trainer at The Warrior Method, loves this more casual approach to fitness.

Ive found there are two types of people those who love the busy, noisy atmosphere of the gym or a fitness class as they find it motivating and exciting, and those who would much rather exercise at their own pace, in a more calm manner, she notes.

If youre in the latter camp, Cozy Cardio may be an ideal solution as you can set up an environment to suit you. Whats more, Flynn believes Cozy Cardio offers a more flexible approach to fitness too.

It feels like its getting harder and harder to fit regular, sustainable fitness into the modern lifestyle so anything which nudges you into regular, consistent exercise is a winner in my opinion, she shares.

When you remove the barriers to exercise, it paves the way for you to work out consistently and when you train consistently youre more likely to see improvements, like increased energy and stamina.

Flynn describes Cozy Cardio as creating your personal best environment as it can help you tap into increased energy, motivation, and focus.

She says it allows you to take a holistic approach to fitness which can be a welcome change to the train insane, go hard or go home messaging prevalent on social media.

When you do this, exercise becomes less of a chore, and more of an enjoyable experience; one that becomes part of your everyday lifestyle.The health benefits of cardio exercise

As far as exercise trends go, strength training has overtaken cardio in the popularity stakes in recent years. However, both experts agree that cardio offers many health benefits and should form at least some of your weekly movement.

Regular cardio should be part of every persons week as it can help offset many health risks which are exacerbated by a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes, says Flynn.

It can also contribute to weight loss, build up your heart muscles so you can better take in and process oxygen, and can even improve your immune system, she adds.

Cardio offers many mental health and wellbeing benefits as well. In particular, Flynn says it can reduce stress, boost energy levels, and improve your mood.

Whats more, cardio can be less intimidating and more beginner-friendly than strength training.

For those who are starting to exercise, gentle cardio is a great place to start as you generally have less muscle ache after than a traditional weights workout, and you can build it up gradually, says Flynn.

However, cardio should make up just one part of your exercise routine. If youre a fan of Cozy Cardio you should aim to add in some weight training eventually.

This is especially important as you age. Age-related muscle loss starts around age 30 and can impact your mobility and contribute to your risk of fractures and falls.

Strength training as you age will help increase both muscle mass and bone density. How to begin a Cozy Cardio routine

If you want to make Cozy Cardio a habit, keeping it simple is key.

The main appeal of Cozy Cardio is that it takes very little effort to get started. As soon as something requires a lot of effort to do, it becomes much easier to put it off, Flynn points out.

First things first, set up an area in your house for exercise and determine what exercise youre going to do, Flynn advises.

Depending on the exercise you want to do, you may want to invest in some equipment, like a yoga mat, a walking pad, or some resistance bands.

But there are other options if you dont want to splash any cash. Flynn suggests putting on some music and having a dance, or completing a gentle full-body workout. You can create your own or find one you like on YouTube.

There are no rules as long as it raises your heart rate, Flynn encourages.

Crawley shares similar advice. If you arent sure what to do, she suggests sticking on your favorite music and moving in the way your body wants to.

Finally, carve out time for it. Cozy Cardio should make finding the time to exercise a little easier. Scheduling your workouts can help as well.

Crawley recommends setting time aside for yourself. You might like to schedule movement for the time of day youre feeling most energetic or in tune with yourself.

You could set a time before or after work hours, Crawley suggests.

Getting started is probably the hardest part.

Remember Rome wasnt built in a day, so take it step by step, Flynn advises. If youre not exercising at all, aim to get 30 minutes in a week and build up from there. And dont forget that it doesnt need to be all in one go you could break it into 10 minutes over 3 days. Takeaway

Grueling strength workouts and slogans like no pain, no gain may have become popular on social media but Cozy Cardio is a trend that takes a much kinder and gentler approach.

This can help you build positive long-term fitness habits.

Embarking on any new health and fitness endeavor can be intimidating. By starting gently, you can build up self-compassion and realize that you dont need to push yourself too hard to tap into your personal best.