Blog
Showing up, without the stress.
Exercise isn't a punishment for what you ate
A review of 24 studies found that how a workout feels while you're doing it predicts whether you'll keep training — and that feeling good afterwards doesn't. Which makes 'earn it' advice worse than useless.
You don't need equipment. You need a floor and ten minutes.
Bodyweight training isn't the beginner version of real training. A meta-analysis of 21 studies found muscle growth is similar across loads when the effort is there — here's what a no-equipment workout can and can't do.
How often should you actually work out?
The honest answer is smaller than the internet implies. A meta-analysis of 16 cohort studies found the biggest health return from strength training arrives at 30–60 minutes a week — and then flattens.
The hardest part of a workout is deciding to do one
Nearly half of people who intend to exercise don't. The research says the gap isn't a motivation problem — it's a decision problem, and that's a much easier thing to fix.
Sore doesn't mean it worked
Soreness feels like proof, so we chase it. A study that gave one group the soreness and spared the other found identical strength gains — 25% versus 26%. Here's what to use instead as your signal.
What to look for in a free workout app
Searching for a free workout app turns up hundreds, and 'free' means four different things across them. Here's how to tell them apart — and what should genuinely cost you nothing.
You don't need a fresh start. You need a smaller one.
Late August is when everyone plans the big September overhaul. About half of exercise programs are abandoned within six months — the small, boring, survivable version is the one that lasts.
When money's tight, fitness shouldn't be another bill
Budgets are stretched and the gym membership is an easy thing to cut. Cutting the membership doesn't have to mean cutting the workouts — here's the version that costs nothing.
Your workout fits in a carry-on
Travel is where most fitness routines quietly fall apart. It's also where Coax is at its most useful — no gym, no gear, no guilt about the days you miss.
Why I built Coax: easing back into exercise after illness
After months of illness, every attempt to work out ended in another injury. Here's why I built Coax — a gentle workout app that eases you back and listens to your body.
Clearer exercise illustrations for every workout move
This week we redrew and refined Coax's exercise illustrations — cleaner figures, better sizing, and fixes for moves whose pictures didn't match their steps.
Too tired to train? There's a third option
On a rough day, the choice isn't push through or skip. There's a gentler middle — and it still counts.
Why we made the streak forgiving
Streaks can motivate — or they can quietly become one more thing to feel bad about. We chose forgiveness.
The case for the 12-minute workout
A short session you actually do is worth infinitely more than the hour you keep meaning to.
You don't have to be perfect. You just have to show up.
Consistency beats intensity — and the bar for showing up should be low enough to clear on your worst day.