Jenna Fischer's Favorite Stress Free Workout Is A Fun Trend She Picked Up From Gen Z

Part of the nostalgic fun of rewatching "The Office" is the retrospectively quaint technology culture. From the coveted iPod in that ill-fated impromptu game of "Yankee Swap" to the endless recreation of viral YouTube videos, the world of Dunder Mifflin is only recognizable to people of a very specific age, but on a September 2024 episode of the podcast "Office Ladies," Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey envisioned an alternate reality with characters who have access to modern realities like scrolling vertical video feeds. "Do you know how many TikTok dances we've all learned under Michael?" Fischer, who played Pam Beesly, imagined. "Oh my gosh, so many," Kinsey, who played Angela Martin, agreed. "Michael Scott would have the whole bullpen doing some TikTok dance."

The conversation revealed that TikTok dances are actually a real-life passion of Fischer's. "I learn TikTok dances in my free time and I just never post myself doing them," she admitted, explaining that learning a tap dance routine set to Kenny Loggins' "Footloose" turned into a full-blown obsession. She shared that she'd also mastered a routine from the musical "Chicago" and insisted it was both a fun and effective workout. "It was hard for me to figure out, and it got my heart rate up, and I enjoyed myself," she concluded.

If you're skeptical that the short dance clips that pop up on the app in-between recipes and conspiracy theories can actually elevate your heart rate long enough to make a difference, the evidence is surprisingly encouraging. According to a 2022 study shared by Harvard Medical School, even two-minute bursts of activity conveyed health benefits for exercisers whose activity added up to at least 15 minutes per day, which wouldn't be hard to rack up — some of those dances are complicated.

There's a few things you should keep in mind if you're interested in trying out Gen Z's favorite form of creative expression, though. For the best muscle-building workout, you should keep your core engaged, which frees up the range of motion in your limbs. Furthermore, if you're only dancing a few minutes at a time, pick a vigorous one — the benefits are reduced at lower intensities. That doesn't mean dancing is out for you if the cozy cardio trend became the key to loving your workout, but if you prefer less intense moves, you should practice for longer. The Department of Health and Human Services still recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week, whether that's from running, cycling, or "Renegade"-ing. Unfortunately, the chin dancing trend, even if it proves we can still prioritize joy when hitting back at the patriarchy, doesn't count at either level.