Cardiovascular exercise is an important component of the weight loss equation. Ultimately, weight loss comes down to a simple equation: you must burn more calories than you consume. Create a deficit in your equation by decreasing the number of calories you consume and increasing your calories burned through physical activity.
Cycling
Cycling indoors or outdoors is an efficient aerobic activity that burns calories as well. Targeting your lower body, cycling strengthens your lower body and can improve your endurance. When deciding to cycle indoors or outdoors, try alternating between the two or choose the option that is most enjoyable to you. With indoor cycling, you can easily control your resistance, join an instructor-led class and you do not have to deal with adverse weather. Outdoor cycling offers more freedom and variety to choose your own path as well as a changing environment and scenery.
Burpees
Burpees are an intense cardiovascular activity that use your body weight and will get your heart pumping. Start standing and bend down bringing your hands to the ground. From here, jump both feet out at the same time into a plank position. Jump both feet back in and return to a standing position. As your cardiovascular endurance improves, add a push-up when you are in a plank position and jump up instead of standing to increase the intensity.
Jogging
Straightforward yet challenging, jogging is an efficient cardiovascular exercise. To maximize the benefits of running, it is important to start out slow to prevent injuries and burnout, yet it is essential to increase the intensity as your endurance improves. Increase only one factor at a time--time, duration, speed or intensity--to allow for aerobic progressions but to avoid over-straining your body. Consider interval training to burn more calories by combining high-intensity bouts with lower-intensity periods. For example, run at a pace that is challenging for you for one to two minutes followed by a brisk walk for one to two minutes. Repeat this cycle four to five times.
Jump Rope
Jumping rope is an effective weight loss exercise because of its high intensity. However, it is an activity anyone can add to their weight loss routine because it provides variety and the individual can control the intensity. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends mixing up your routine and incorporating moderately intense and vigorously intense exercise into your routine. This will help maximize your calories burned as well as stave off boredom through the variety.
Swimming
Swimming can burn a high number of calories per hour because it incorporates your whole body. Water provides resistance and the low-impact activity takes pressure off of sore or injured joints. To maximize your calories burned while swimming, consider taking swim lessons or a water aerobics class to learn proper techniques and form or add a weighted belt to increase the difficulty and resistance.
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