Cardio exercises help you burn calories and maintain your weight. They can also reduce your risk of developing chronic health conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure. There are a variety of cardio exercises that don't require special equipment and are easily done at home, which eliminates the need for costly gym memberships. Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of cardio exercise each day. Consult your physician before starting any type of cardio exercise.
Grab a Rope
Jumping rope isn't just for kids; adults can reap a variety of health benefits from this high-impact, aerobic exercise. Start off jumping slowly for a minute or two to warm up, increase your speed as you progress into the workout. Don't try to jump for 30 continual minutes, especially when you first begin jumping rope. Build your endurance by jumping for one to three minute intervals, resting for one minute in between intervals. Don't sit during your rest period, march in place until you start jumping again. Add difficult steps like two-footed jumps, knee raises and one-footed jumps to challenge yourself. Avoid jumping on concrete and wear good-fitting, aerobic shoes for your work out.
Dance, Dance, Dance
Dancing is a cardiovascular exercise that helps burn calories, builds endurance and improves your balance and flexibility. You don't need to do fancy dance steps and you won't have to join a class; all you need is your favorite music and room to move. Start slowly to warm-up your muscles, then pick up the pace and have fun while you move your arms and legs, swing your hips and shake your booty for the next 20 to 30 minutes. You can make dancing even more fun by having your kids or friends join in. Always wear comfortable shoes and try to dance on a padded surface like wooden or carpeted floors.
Jogging In Place
You don't have to take to the great outdoors or visit the local indoor track to jog, you can do it in place, at home, while watching TV or while listening to your favorite music. Jogging is good cardio exercise that elevates your heart rate and help you build endurance and burn calories. Start your workout by marching in place, slowly increase the pace until you're jogging. Move your arms to increase the intensity of your workout. Jog in place for two to three minute intervals, marching for a minute to rest before picking up the pace again. Increase the time of the intervals until you can jog nonstop for 30 minutes.
Other Cardio Activities
Walking is another low-impact, cardio exercise you can do at home. You can walk at home, either around the house or in place while watching TV or listening to music. If you have stairs, add a few trips up and down those to increase the intensity of your walk.
Another fun cardio exercise is shadow boxing. You can shadow box while listening to music or watching your favorite TV show. Begin by making a fist and extending your right arm as you pull back the left, then reverse the move. You can box using just your arms or you can raise the intensity of the workout by transferring your weight from one foot to the other as you throw punches. Shadow box for 30 minutes to get a good cardio workout.
References
- Staying on Trac: Cardiovascular Exercise
- Austin Community College: Exercise Guide Jump Rope
- BestCardioExercise.com: Top 5 Home Cardio Exercises
- Fit Watch: 10 Ways You Can Exercise at Home Without Any Equipment
- Medill Reports: Dance Does a Body Good
- Boxing Tips: The Proper Shadow Boxing Workout Training Anywhere
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