[ti:What Is 'Cozy Cardio?']
[al:Health & Lifestyle]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2024-02-08]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]A new kind of exercise idea is becoming popular in the United States. Social media is bringing attention to "cozy cardio."
[00:12.45]It means doing light cardiovascular exercise at home.
[00:16.79]Physical inactivity is a problem in the United States.
[00:21.88]The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 25 percent of Americans reported they had not done any physical activity in the past month.
[00:38.49]The CDC says that one in two American adults do not get enough cardiovascular exercise.
[00:47.23]Inactivity can have serious health effects.
[00:50.59]So, many Americans are looking to develop a new exercise habit.
[00:57.44]"Cozy cardio" has gained popularity as an easy and painless way to increase physical activity levels.
[01:06.89]This method of calorie burning has gained popularity on TikTok and Instagram ever since a woman named Hope Zuckerbrow began posting videos in late 2022.
[01:21.66]Cozy cardio involves walking in place by using a small treadmill or "walking pad."
[01:29.49]No gym payments are involved.
[01:32.94]"I get so many messages from men and women - so many people - saying something along the lines of 'thank you so much for...flipping my mindset on what I thought exercise is supposed to be,'" Zuckerbrow said. 
[01:49.95]"This feels so doable."
[01:52.72]Supporters say what is important about "cozy cardio" is the setup.
[01:58.99]You wear comfortable clothes and organize your environment to your liking. You can light candles, have a healthy drink, or even put on a favorite TV show or movie.
[02:12.09]Alex Montoye of Alma College said, for some people, easy exercise such as "cozy cardio" could help them develop an exercise habit.
[02:24.49]Montoye said for people who would otherwise watch TV while sitting, walking can help them make progress.
[02:33.73]That is especially true if exercise becomes a habit.
[02:37.96]People struggle to make healthy habits last over time.
[02:42.78]That is why cozy exercise is such a good idea, said Catherine Sanderson of Amherst College in Massachusetts. 
[02:52.46]She wrote the health book, The Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity.
[03:02.56]"It fits in with a lot of what we know about how to get people to actually maintain behavior change," Sanderson said.
[03:12.22]Along with removing the barriers to exercise, she said, "It very much relies on what psychologists would call positive reinforcement - the idea of, 'It's not just that I'm exercising...I'm tapping into something I want to be doing already."
[03:31.86]As cozy cardio becomes more popular, Zuckerbrow said she hears from people who did not realize they could enjoy easy exercise.
[03:43.43]Alyssa Royse, owner of Rocket Community Fitness in Seattle, has been mixing workouts at her gym and cozy exercise at home. 
[03:54.79]Some days she turns off the sound on her Peloton exercise bicycle and watches TV because it takes her "brain somewhere else."
[04:04.10]"Too many people look at exercise as an all-or-nothing thing," Royse said.
[04:10.36]"It doesn't give people room to just be where they are today. And I think that's incredibly important."
[04:19.84]I'm John Russell.