Doing your cardio exercising at home is an attractive option, offering convenience as well as a way to save money and time. Luckily, a good cardio workout doesn’t have to require a ton of space or fancy equipment, and with a little creativity, you can put together a fitness routine with a wide range of effective cardio exercises that will tone muscle, burn calories, and help you lose weight. Below are some home cardio exercises you can do anytime, anywhere. Life can get busy, and oftentimes we find ourselves travelling or otherwise unable to get to our preferred health and fitness facility for a workout. These easy exercise at home will help you get fit and boost energy on your own terms no gym required!
Jumping Jacks :
What: Repeatedly jumping the feet wide while circling the arms overhead, then back again
Why: Jumping jacks burn about 100 calories in 10 minutes and no special equipment or skills are needed.
Requirements: A good pair of shoes, a conditioned heart
Precautions: Jumping jacks are high impact, which may tax the joints. They may also remind you of elementary or high school gym class traumas.
Variations: Plyo-jacks (squatting then jumping in the air), stepping the feet out rather than jumping, holding a medicine ball, push-up jacks (jumping the legs together while doing push-ups)
Jump Rope
What: Turning a rope with handles repeatedly while jumping over it and (optional) chanting rhymes
Why: It’s great cardio, burning about 220 calories in 20 minutes. Jump ropes are inexpensive, travel well, require no special skills, and can be used anywhere you have space.
Requirements: A jump rope, a good pair of shoes, patience, and practice
Precautions: Jumping rope is high impact and requires practice. It looks easy, but beginners may have all the grace of a pigeon-toed elephant and trip often. For the best results, turn the rope with the wrists, not the arms, and land softly. Only jump high enough to clear the rope.
Variations: Jumping on one foot, alternating feet, crossing the feet, jumping with high knees, double turning the rope
Jogging in Place
What: Jogging in a stationary position
Why: It’s simple, accessible, gets the heart rate up, and is a great way to warm up for more intense exercise.
Requirements: A good pair of shoes
Precautions: It’s high impact, which may tax the joints, and it can be boring. Because there’s no forward motion, it isn’t as intense as jogging outside.
Variations: Press the arms overhead, high knees, butt kicks, wide knees
Burpees :
What: Squatting to the floor, jumping the feet to a plank position, jumping back in, and standing up
Why: It’s a killer cardio exercise, burning 100 or more calories in 10 minutes (if you can stomach 10 minutes of this exercise).
Requirements: A good pair of shoes, experience with high impact exercise, an iron will
Precautions: They’re really, really hard.
Variations: Stepping the feet back instead of jumping, jump up at the end, add a push-up, use equipment for an additional challenge (medicine ball, BOSU, kettlebell, or sliding discs)
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