Not having a membership to a fitness center is no excuse to skip cardiovascular exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine advises healthy adults to do a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate cardiovascular exercise a day, five days a week, to enhance health, weight management and energy. Even if you have a limited amount of space or budget, you can still enjoy an intense, challenging workout at home.
No Equipment
You might not have the means, or the room, to set up your own home gym. You might even have a gym membership, but time, child-care complications or other circumstances might keep you from using it as often as you should. In these instances, do a cardio circuit. Choose 10 to 15 simple, high-energy exercises and do each for a minute. For a 30- to 45-minute workout, do the circuit two or three times. Exercise options include jumping jacks, high knees, mountain climbers, speed skaters, jump squats, football runs, jogging in place, walking lunges and even running up and down a staircase.
Minimal Expense
With a little forethought and a small budget, you can acquire equipment that will help give you more variety for at-home cardio work. Jumping rope burns a lot of calories but requires little space, skill or financial investment. The American Council on Exercise says jumping rope improves body awareness and helps you develop better hand and foot coordination One hour of rope jumping burns 780 calories for a 160-pound person, according to the Mayo Clinic. Break that session up into two or four 15-minute bouts to make it more manageable. If rope jumping is not for you, invest in a few DVDs--cardio dance, kickboxing or boot camp--for when you cannot get to the gym. Also, an aerobic step allows you to do a series of step-ups, Charleston kicks, straddle steps, knee lifts and power jumps.
Home Exercise Equipment
Consider investing in a stationary cardio machine. Stationary bicycles, elliptical machines and treadmills are appropriate for almost all fitness levels. They are relatively easy to use, and you can do intervals and steady training to mix up your workout. Your choice depends on your goals, resources and physical limitations. A stationary bicycle offers a low-impact exercise option, is usually the least expensive and, according to the American Council on Exercise, requires just 10 square feet of space. Ellipticals and treadmills require about 30 square feet and, for comparable quality, a bigger investment. If you have joint or back issues, choosing a bike or an elliptical makes sense because the pounding of walking or running could exacerbate your problems.
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