2023-10-02 09:50:09
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – For some people, the idea of sweating in a noisy gym full of strangers or going out in the hot sun is unattractive.
If you feel this is your case, and are looking for a way to improve your health, consider trying a relaxing cardio workout.
“Relaxed cardio” is a term published by a social media influencer named Hope Zuckerbrough, who lives in Paradise, Texas.
In her TikTok videos, which have garnered 34 million likes, Zuckerbrough is often seen on a treadmill in her living room, surrounded by candles and colored lights.
While walking, she is sometimes seen wearing her pajamas, watching TV, and sipping her favorite protein coffee drink. After half an hour or so, she was done with her exercise.
Before doing this relaxing cardio workout, Zuckerbrough followed a workout plan with loud music to lose 100 pounds. But following regaining regarding half that weight, she didn’t want to go back to an intense regimen to improve her health.
“I realized I needed to improve my relationship with exercise,” Zuckerbrough said. “Exercise wasn’t fun anymore, and I was only exercising to lose weight, not to feel happy or healthy.”
So she gathered her favorite items, like candles, colored lights, and protein coffee, and began a slow, relaxing walk on her treadmill early one morning.
The first video she posted on TikTok regarding her new exercise routine received 400,000 views, and the “relaxed cardio” style was born.
But is slow, short walking effective exercise?
Dr. David Sapjer, a cardiologist at Ohio Health Physicians Group in Columbus, Ohio, explained, “This initial start is a wonderful thing.”
“You can’t go from 0 to 60 instantly. Once you get the endorphins and adrenaline, it will make it easier to get into a more regular routine and a more intense level of exercise,” he continued.
In fact, Zuckerbrough is now walking faster and longer than she started out, going from walking for 15 or 20 minutes to walking for 45 or 60 minutes, and at a faster rate.
For his part, fitness specialist Nick Occhipinti, an assistant professor of anatomy at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, USA, pointed out that “finding an accessible way to start practicing physical activity is excellent.”
He explained that this was partly because there was an inverse relationship between the number of steps and deaths from all causes, saying: “The more steps you take, the lower your probability of dying.”
Substituting 30 minutes daily of low-intensity physical activity was associated with an 11% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 24% reduction in cardiovascular mortality, according to a January 2018 study.
Another study on low-intensity walking, published in February 2019, showed beneficial effects on blood pressure and heart rate, suggesting that it may be a suitable form of exercise for managing high blood pressure, especially for those who are frail or have chronic disease. .
Progress beyond comfortable cardio
Although relaxed cardio sessions are certainly better than no exercise at all, they should lead to more vigorous activity, experts say.
Adults should do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
To progress to moderate-intensity exercise, Occhipinti suggested getting outside and timed how long it takes to walk a mile. Next time you go out for a walk, try to beat that time. Then keep trying to improve your time each week.
“Exercising doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sweating all over and getting your heart racing, but you have to get to the point where you’re working hard enough to get in shape,” Occhipinti said.
Sapjer pointed out that moving your exercises outside – at least for some time – is desirable, given the enormous health benefits of being outdoors.
One study conducted during January showed that getting outside in nature three or four times a week was associated with reduced use of medications for problems such as high blood pressure and asthma.
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