I’ve tried dance cardio workouts before — 30-minute hip-hop Tabata was a blast! I did it in the comfort of my bedroom because even though I was a competitive gymnast for over a decade — spoiler alert! — I can’t dance. But, after seeing that Fitness Marshall, known for their fun and fierce dance cardio workouts set to popular music, also posts cooldown routines, I was intrigued. Cooldown songs are slower, hence, in my mind, easier to follow.
Fitness Marshall recently released a cooldown to Tinashe’s “Save Room For Us,” but the one that really piqued my interest was a three-minute cooldown to Lauv’s “Sad Forever” because — another spoiler! — I love Lauv. The workout I did prior to this cooldown consisted of a 30-minute hike on the treadmill (I’m really into inclines lately because hello, glutes!), about 20 minutes of weightlifting, and a five-minute core workout video from Peloton.
I actually followed along to the cooldown twice because the first time I laughed my way through it — initially, it was hard for me to pick up the moves (that’s not Fitness Marshall’s fault; I’m a slow learner when it comes to choreography). The moves include “melting” motions into squats, foot pulls of sorts, and “swimmers” (because, as Caleb from the Fitness Marshall implies, you can push free from a sea of unwelcome emotions).
The second time around, I got the moves down a lot better. You don’t have to repeat the video, of course, but I was determined to actually learn the choreography. The “melting” motions were a nice way to roll out my spine and neck, and the “swimmers” loosened up my arms, which felt good after the shoulder presses and side lateral arm raises I did during my workout.
I definitely recommend trying this cooldown after exercise that gets your heart rate up to feel its full effects, so looking back, I should have done my treadmill hike, instead of the short core video, last. However, this Fitness Marshall cooldown to “Sad Forever” did loosen me up, and it was fun to follow along to one of my favorite artists. This particular song, too, sends a message of hope — that you can dig yourself out of mental health struggles. Give the video a try and don’t forget to stretch!