A certified personal trainer shares a 20-minute cozy cardio workout that also doubles as a resistance-training workout.

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Sometimes people have an all-or-nothing mentality with movement, but thats totally not the case, Bethmann says.

I want people to remember that it doesnt have to be like this intense 30-, 45-minute session.

woman sweating in the gym

a trauma-informed certified personal trainer and creator of&Strength

Try a cozy cardio workout.

The benefits of cozy cardio and gentle movement

Thedefinition ofcozy cardiovaries from person to person.

But to Bethmann, its essentially movement performed in a safe, comfortable setting.

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

I associate cozy cardio with feeling safe and the ability for our bodies to fully relax, she explains.

There isnt one right way to move.

Department of Health and Human Services.

Full body female athlete in sportswear using rowing machine during fitness workout in gym.

Its not in a high-impact key in of way.

Its not in a speed way, Bethmann says.

This allows you to go at the speed and pace that makes sense for you.

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a trauma-informed certified personal trainer and creator of&Strength

Its that repetitive movement that can then start to get our heart rate up.

Plus, opting for resistance-style moves gives you the perk of building muscular endurance and strength.

Then, perform a few rounds of dynamic warm-up movements.

Happy woman dancing and listening to music near a green empty wall outdoor in the city.

End with a few air squats or squat jumps to start bringing the heart rate up.

The whole thing is, we dont want to go into these states of intenseness, she explains.

We want to move into these nervous system states in a controlled space.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

it’s possible for you to do all of the movements with just your body weight, too.

To do the workout, perform the first exercise for one minute.

Take 30 seconds of rest, then move on to the next exercise.

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

Repeat, alternating sides, for 1 minute.

OPTION

Perform the exercise seated, keeping your arms raised overhead and alternating raising your knees.

Alternatively, keep your arms lowered and just alternate the knee raise.

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Repeat, alternating kicks, for 1 minute.

Perform the exercise seated, alternating kicking one leg out in front of you.

Perform a seated or standing biceps curl, or perform the reverse lunge without the biceps curl.

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Russian twist

This classic core exercise challenges your obliques and can easily be modified or progressed.

The further you lean back into the hinge, the more challenging it will be.

For added support, keep your feet planted on the floor.

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Perform the exercise seated with your feet planted on the floor.

Repeat, alternating between the bent-over row and the reverse fly, for 1 minute.

Perform the exercise seated.

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Repeat for 1 minute.

Press the weight up toward the ceiling to return to start.

Repeat, alternating which side you lower to the floor first, for 1 minute.

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Perform this exercise on your knees or hold a static plank.

Just like your warm-up, Bethmann recommends beginning with two to three minutes of breathwork.

This time, focus on holding the exhale a bit longer.

Then, spend some time stretching any areas of the body that feel tight.

For this workout in particular, youll want to focus on the glutes, upper back, and shoulders.

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