April 2026

Lily West, The Weight Of Becoming (2025)Gallery / 22 images ”Ever since I stopped lifting super heavy and incorporated more low-intensity workouts, not only did I feel so much less bloated throughout the day, but I’m in such a better shape now,” – that’s how Mandana Zarghami says she got rid of what’s being called “cortisol face” in a TikTok video. Zarghami is not the only wellness influencer encouraging women to ditch lifting weights in favour of low-intensity exercises like walking and pilates. Other women on #GymTok have claimed that walking instead of running avoids facial puffiness associated with “runner’s face”, stopping lifting is what “snatched” their body and quitting HIIT workouts helped them lose weight. While the buzz around “lowering your cortisol”...