It was 5 a.m. when Hope Zuckerbrough decided to post her morning routine on TikTok.
“I couldn’t sleep again. I already had my coffee in my hand. My favorite TV show was already on and it was already cozy inside my apartment,” the 25-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas, tells PEOPLE.
“I wanted to get some exercise, so I jumped on my walking pad. The first time I turned on the camera, boom, Cozy Cardio was born.”
The video, released in November 2022, went viral, garnering more than 500,000 views as people were drawn to the concept.
Instead of hitting the gym, many TikTokers put on their fuzzy pajamas, light their favorite candles, invest in some soft atmospheric lighting, and take walks on their walking pads at home while streaming their favorite shows.
A new mom shared a video of herself pumping while walking through a cozy cardio session.
Zuckerbrough loved seeing how others were taking her trends and “walking” with them.
“I wanted to move my body in a way that wasn’t automatically tied to the number on the scale or my calorie intake for the day. I just wanted to move my body because it was fun,” Zuckerbrough says. He previously told PEOPLE that he had lost more than 100 pounds.
She added: “We had to take the punishing aspect out of exercise and introduce a more enjoyable aspect.”
But does it really count as aerobic exercise?
Provided by Hope Zuckerbrough
People were looking for expert opinion on this trend. “I think it’s great for your mental health, but I think it’s a big stretch to think of it as aerobic exercise,” says Katz, director of the Women’s Heart Program at Northwell’s Katz Institute for Women’s Health. One Dr. Evelina Graeber says:
“Just walking gently in place, when the candles are lit, there’s a kind of different vibe around you. It’s more of a mental health and stress reliever than an actual cardio workout. ”
But Graeber emphasizes, “I think it’s an exercise that has incredible mental health benefits,” and says that cozy cardio can be a stepping stone to more cardiovascular exercises.
Certain groups could benefit even more, she says.
“I think cozy cardio is a really great way to do it.” [for] New mothers should then return to their training plan once they receive clearance from their obstetrician and gynecologist. “For patients who have had any type of surgery, this is a great transition to some degree of cardiovascular exercise,” Graeber tells PEOPLE.
“It’s movement. It’s good to move your body as much as possible, but it doesn’t really count as aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise involves reaching at least 55 to 85 percent of your maximum target heart rate. sometimes considered,” Graeber explains.
However, Zuckerbrough told PEOPLE: Cozy Cardio is just a concept. So, for me, Cozy Cardio is a great walk, a great walk on a walking pad, but I don’t like videos of people doing cardio on a treadmill while watching a movie, or doing cardio on a stair stepper. I have a lot of followers who tag me. It is a more intense form of aerobic exercise. ”
She continues: “I didn’t have a healthy relationship with exercise. Thanks to Cozy Cardio, I started enjoying moving again. My joints felt better. I went back to the gym and started doing more intense exercises. Now I can do aerobic exercise.”
Provided by Hope Zuckerbrough
“So. Whether you want Cozy Cardio to be about weight loss or a more intense form of exercise, “that’s completely up to you,” Zuckerbraun tells PEOPLE.
But while comfy jammies and moody lighting can make exercising less scary, Graber points out that there are still some safety guidelines to follow. “The last thing you want to do is hit the walking trail in slippers,” she tells PEOPLE. “Even if you are walking at a very slow pace, avoid falling and seriously injuring yourself.”
Zuckerblau added: “Don’t do anything that could be a danger to yourself. Make sure there are no lit candles in close proximity to long curtains. Also, make sure that no one is doing anything that could hurt you. Other than that, like I said, Cozy Cardio is a pretty broad concept. So whatever cozy means to you, go for it.”
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