Effective cardio exercises you can try at home

Cardiovascular exercises are essential for good health as it gets your heart rate up, eventually making your blood pump faster. Cardio exercises will help you lose weight, get better sleep, and increase the oxygen delivery rate throughout your body, thereby delivering more oxygen to keep your lungs and heart-healthy. 

If it’s raining outside and you can’t go for a jog or if you feel too lazy to hit the gym, cardio workouts are your thing. There are plenty of workouts you can do at home without any cardio exercise equipment.

We will get started with some beginner-friendly moves. If you are new to cardio, we recommend you get started with these moves.

High Knees:

You just require a minimal amount of space in your bedroom to do this exercise. It involves pumping your arms up and down, simulating the motion of running but from a single place.

Butt Kicks:

They are precisely opposite to high knees as you will lift your heel toward your butt. You can continue alternating your heels and increase the speed as you progress every day.

Lateral Shuffles:

Lateral shuffles are a side-by-side coordination exercise that increases your heart rate abruptly. Get started by standing with your feet apart and leaning forward. Lift your right foot, push off your left foot, move towards your right without disturbing the position. Repeat the same steps in the other direction.

Crab Walks:

Crab walk is one of the most effective ways to get your blood flowing and to strengthen your back, core, and legs. You can walk back and forth in your desired direction. As the weight is evenly distributed between your arms and legs, don’t miss this workout.

Standing Oblique Crunch:

This is a cardio exercise that has a low impact on your body, and hence it is highly recommended for beginners. Place your hands on the back of your head and lift your knees. Keep your elbows pointed forward and bring your knee close to it. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Box Jumps:

Box jump focuses on strengthening your lower body that includes thighs, calves, shins, and butt. In order to perform this exercise, you will need best cardio exercise equipment like a strongbox of knee-high. Place your feet and arms at your sides and swing up your arms to jump onto the box. Ensure that you land gently by leaning slightly forward. Jump back off and repeat as many times you want.

Now that we have seen some of the basic cardio exercises, now let’s move onto some advanced moves to make things interesting.

Plank Jacks:

Plank jacks are similar to horizontal jumping jacks; the significant difference is that you need to support your body weight entirely on your arms. Start with a plank and move your legs quickly as you can. Jump back to the plank position and repeat it. Count the number of sets and get enough rest in between the sets.

Mountain Climbers:

As the name suggests, this cardiovascular workout represents the motion of climbing a mountain. It is an intense full-body exercise that will give great results. If you are new to this workout, we suggest you get started at a slower pace and gradually increase your speed. Start with a plank position and lift your right knee towards your chest. Switch between the knees at regular intervals.

Plank Ski Hops:

They are also called Plank skiers and rotational jumps. Fitness experts suggest that the turning movements and jumps involved in this cardio workout will increase your strength and endurance. Start with a plank and jump your feet to the right. Keep your legs together and rotate your elbows accordingly. Now jump back to the plank position and repeat the same procedure on the left side.

The best part of these workouts is that you need not have to step out of the house, and it can easily fit inside your daily routine. Just remember to workout at least 30 mins per day to get expected results. No matter how much you workout, you will get the desired results only if you do it the right way. Here are some curated tips to get the maximum results out of your cardio workout.

  • Warm-up before every workout session
  • Rest between the sets
  • Invite a friend (workout buddy)
  • Increase the workout time gradually

In A Nutshell:

Cardiovascular workouts help extensively in keeping your heart, lungs, and muscles healthier. The best part is that you need not have to leave the house, and it can easily fit inside your daily routine. Just remember to workout at least 30 mins per day to get expected results.