Political polarization. Economic struggles. Inequity. Climate change. War.

In an often-bruising world, you can hardly blame people for seeking out ways to cushion themselves. From weighted blankets to to entire restaurants and cookbooks based on childhood , the appetite for comfortable things just keeps growing.

Now some are seeking comfort even in their physical exertion. They are, it seems, entering the era of 香蕉视频直播渃ozy cardio,香蕉视频直播� an activity that lies right at the crossroads of gym workout, self-pampering evening 香蕉视频直播� and nap time.

This method of (minimal) calorie burning has gained popularity on TikTok and Instagram ever since a woman named began posting videos in late 2022. Let香蕉视频直播檚 describe it by what it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 do. It doesn香蕉视频直播檛 require you to:

香蕉视频直播攕queeze into spandex workout clothes;

香蕉视频直播攈ead out into the cold to drive to a fluorescently lit gym;

香蕉视频直播攍ift heavy things;

香蕉视频直播攇et winded to the beat of pulsating music.

Cozy cardio simply involves walking in place 香蕉视频直播� in the comfort of your home 香蕉视频直播� using a mini treadmill or 香蕉视频直播渨alking pad.香蕉视频直播� No stress, no membership fees, no preening for other, buffer-than-thou gym rats. And you can even have a cup of hot tea by your side.

香蕉视频直播淚 get so many messages from men and women 香蕉视频直播� so many people 香蕉视频直播� saying something along the lines of 香蕉视频直播榯hank you so much for kind of flipping my mindset on what I thought exercise is supposed to be,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� Zuckerbrow says. 香蕉视频直播淭his feels so doable.香蕉视频直播�

THE SELF-PAMPERING WORKOUT

The key is the setup.

Wearing soft sweatpants and your favorite comfy shirt, you light a few scented candles, make a healthy smoothie or pot of tea, dim the lights and put on a favorite TV show or movie. With your drink handy, you walk for an hour while getting lost in whatever you香蕉视频直播檙e watching, maybe walking just a bit more vigorously once you香蕉视频直播檙e warmed up.

Forget 香蕉视频直播渘o pain, no gain.香蕉视频直播� Cozy cardio acknowledges that maybe you can香蕉视频直播檛 take much more pain at this particular moment, so just enjoy getting some steps in while binge-watching 香蕉视频直播淭he Bear香蕉视频直播� in your pajamas and call that your workout.

When Zuckerbrow posts on social media, 香蕉视频直播�80% to 90% of the video itself is me romanticizing the exercise that I香蕉视频直播檓 about to do,香蕉视频直播� she says. 香蕉视频直播淚 am setting up my favorite beverage and I香蕉视频直播檓 lighting those candles and my Scentsy and I香蕉视频直播檓 getting my TV show.香蕉视频直播�

No, walking won香蕉视频直播檛 give you six-pack abs. But could cozy cardio, which embraces the most appealing aspects of being a couch potato while keeping you off the couch, help even hardcore gym-avoiders stick with exercise long after New Year香蕉视频直播檚 resolution season ends?

For people battling the common barriers to exercise, the answer could be yes, says Alex Montoye, assistant professor of clinical exercise physiology at Alma College in Michigan.

Montoye does caution that if you香蕉视频直播檙e downshifting from vigorous daily workouts to something this mellow, the health benefits may plummet. But for someone who would otherwise watch TV from the couch, he says, it香蕉视频直播檚 progress to watch while walking 香蕉视频直播� especially if it becomes a daily habit.

People struggle to make healthy habits stick, which makes cozy exercise 香蕉视频直播渒ind of a genius idea,香蕉视频直播� says Catherine Sanderson, a professor of psychology at Amherst College in Massachusetts and author of 香蕉视频直播淭he Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚t fits in with a lot of what we know about how to get people to actually maintain behavior change,香蕉视频直播� Sanderson says.

Along with removing the barriers to exercise, she says, 香蕉视频直播渋t very much relies on what psychologists would call positive reinforcement 香蕉视频直播� the idea of, 香蕉视频直播橧t香蕉视频直播檚 not just that I香蕉视频直播檓 exercising. I香蕉视频直播檓 getting to watch my favorite show. I香蕉视频直播檓 tapping into something I want to be doing already.香蕉视频直播�

ELIMINATE THE COMPETITION 香蕉视频直播� BY STAYING HOME

The cozy approach also works for gymgoers who feel burned out at the idea of constant striving.

Ko Im, a mental health advocate who has taught yoga and meditation in New York and other U.S. cities, remembers a phase several years ago when 香蕉视频直播測oga challenges香蕉视频直播� were a trend.

香蕉视频直播淚t was the yoga pose of the day 香蕉视频直播� really, really hard yoga poses,香蕉视频直播� Im says. More recently, she sees people pushing themselves to make the leaderboard in all their Peloton classes or pushing themselves to lose five more pounds.

香蕉视频直播淲hat I like,香蕉视频直播� she says, 香蕉视频直播渋s the idea of enjoying the journey, not the goal. Does it feel good in my body today?香蕉视频直播�

As cozy cardio gains traction, Zuckerbrow hears from people who didn香蕉视频直播檛 realize they could enjoy the journey.

Alyssa Royse, owner of Rocket Community Fitness in Seattle, has been alternating between full-on workouts at her gym and cozy exercise at home. Some days she switches off the sound on her Peloton (香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 even want those cheery people talking to me香蕉视频直播�) and just pedals while watching 香蕉视频直播渢he trashiest TV I can find, because it just takes my brain somewhere else.香蕉视频直播�

The hashtag-friendly name 香蕉视频直播渃ozy cardio香蕉视频直播� could sound like an oxymoron. But perhaps, as 2024 takes root, it香蕉视频直播檚 the compromise our culture needs.

Driving across town in icy weather and pushing through an hour of Zumba or lifting 20-pound kettlebells just isn香蕉视频直播檛 possible some days. But lighting a candle in your living room and walking three miles in your pajamas while re-watching the final season of 香蕉视频直播淪uccession香蕉视频直播�? That香蕉视频直播檚 within reach.

And it might just serve up enough endorphins and bring enough oxygen into your lungs to cope with whatever global crisis tomorrow could bring.

香蕉视频直播淭oo many people look at exercise as an all-or-nothing thing,香蕉视频直播� Royse says. 香蕉视频直播淚t doesn香蕉视频直播檛 give people room to just be where they are today. And I think that香蕉视频直播檚 incredibly important.香蕉视频直播�

READ ALSO: