It's Time to Start Exercising in Your Pajamas

We don't report on every TikTok trend, but when they're good — they're good. Recently, creator Annabel Blue went viral for a "lazy ballerina conditioning routine" video she posted on the social media platform. She demonstrates stretching exercises, like thread-the-needle and downward-facing dog, and strengthening exercises, like planks and glute bridges.

But her workout routine isn't what has the video's comments section talking. It's the fact that she's working out in her pajamas. "I will ALWAYS work out in my PJs," one user writes. "Love a PJ workout," another user adds. And you know what? We wholeheartedly agree.

This routine is reminiscent of cozy cardio, a workout trend that emphasizes wearing your most comfortable clothing (pajamas encouraged!) and doing gentle forms of movement, like walking on your walking pad while watching your favorite movie.

"Cozy cardio offers a nice alternative to this 'go hard' punishing mentality that many people associate with fitness progress," Alexa Mieses Malchuk, MD, MPH, previously told PS. "You can be kinder to yourself and still reach your fitness goals."

Indeed, moving your body doesn't have to be extreme and uncomfortable to yield results, and there's actually some research to back this up. A small 2017 study in Physiological Reports found that moderate-intensity exercise may have the same benefits as more rigorous workouts, like improved insulin sensitivity, metabolism, and fat loss and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

Not to mention, there's evidence that at-home workouts are a great alternative to gym workouts because they, too, improve muscle strength, muscle endurance, muscle power, and balance.

The bottom line? If working out in an oversized T-shirt and flowy pants makes you more likely to want to exercise — even if you're not doing something super intense — that's a whole lot better than the alternative of not exercising at all. In fact, searching "pajamas workout" on TikTok results in 11.5 million posts.

So, the next time you want to do a workout and don't feel like changing out of the clothes you slept in the night before, rest assured you can still reap the benefits of exercise in your comfiest attire. Absolutely no judgement here.

Danielle Zickl is a freelance writer who has 10 years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. You can find her work here on PS, and in many other publications including Self, Well+Good, Runner's World, Outside Run, Peloton, Women's Health, and Men's Fitness.