What is Cardio?
Cardiovascular exercise, also called aerobic exercise, raises the heart rate to the target heart rate. With cardio, you can burn calories and fat most. Cardio exercises are apart from other workouts like strength training as it depends on the body's oxygen usage ability. Sex, age, and genes are some of the factors that affect your ability to do cardio exercises. Women tend to have a lower capacity for cardio workouts than men, which also reduces with age.
What are Cardio Workouts?
Cardio workouts are a set of exercises that are performed to improve the heart rate of the individual. These cardio exercises are extremely useful to people who are looking to stay healthy and maintain optimal weight. As per various heart health studies, an adult should get at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio workouts per week. The exercises included in cardio workouts depend on the individual’s health goals. Various cardio exercises, including warm-up and cool-down exercises, should be included in the cardio workout to be successful.
How Effectively Can We Do Cardio Workouts at Home?
Cardio exercises at home can be done very effectively at home. Irrespective of whether you can go out on the run or go to a gym, cardio workouts can be done at home. Since the essence of cardio exercises is to increase the heart rate, even climbing stairs or skipping can become a wonderful cardio workout at home. For more advanced versions, online cardio workout classes are available.
Who Can Do Cardio Workouts?
Almost everyone can do a cardio workout at home or a gym, and it can be done by everyone aged 3 years up. It is recommended that adults and the elderly regularly do any form of aerobic exercise to improve cardiovascular health. Pregnant women get maximum benefits from doing simple cardio exercises. Even those with health issues, injuries, or who have had surgeries can perform simple or moderate cardio exercises unless your doctors suggest otherwise.
Who Should Avoid Cardio Workouts?
Cardio exercises are good for everyone unless your healthcare provider does not recommend doing it. However, the intensity of the exercises should depend on your age, health and other factors. Rigorous exercise is not recommended for people recovering from health issues, having had surgery recently, or suffering from injuries.
List of Best Cardio Workouts
1, High Knees
2. Donkey Kick Burpees
3. Mountain climbers
4. Squat Jump
5. Lateral shuffle
6. Plank Shoulder tap
7. Crab Walk
High Knees
These cardio exercises are done by running in the same place, and the advantage of doing it is, it can be done anywhere, even when there is less space.
Steps: Stand with the legs together by putting the arms to the sides.
Lift the knees to the chest level and then lower it.
Repeat this to the other knee and pump the arms up and down by alternating between the knees.
Reps: 4 sets of 20 reps on each leg
Total time: 1 minute
Benefits:
This cardio workout at home engages the core, improves the leg muscle strength, increases heart rate, boosts coordination and flexibility.
Donkey Kick Burpees
Steps:
Stand with feet hip-width wide, arms by the sides.
Get down with palms on the floor.
Get into a plank from that position so that the heels, hips, spine and head are straight.
Do a push-up and jump halfway back towards the hands.
Now kick both the feet in the air like a donkey kicking.
When you land, stand up and jump into the air with arms overhead.
Reps:
4 to 5 sets of 10 reps
Total time:
1 minute to 1.30 minutes
Benefits:
Tones and stabilizes the entire body. It involves compound movements and a full-body exercise.
Mountain Climbers
It is a full-body exercise that is a very intense kind of cardio at home, and it is the best cardio exercise to lose belly fat at home.
Steps:
Start in a plank with the back straight and palms shoulder-width apart.
Keep the core engaged and the hips down.
Pull one knee to your chest as much as possible.
Switch and do the same on the other knee.
Do it as fast as you can.
Reps:
2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 mountain climbers
Total time:
1 minute to 1 min 30 secs.
Benefits:
It is a compound movement that stabilizes your entire body. It is a great cardio exercise that burns calories and also helps in heart health.
Squat Jump
Squat jumps target the lower body, and adding a jump to a regular squat turns this physical exercise into explosive cardio training.
Steps:
Stand with your feet at hip distance and the arms by your side.
Get into a squat with the knees bent, toes behind knees, spine straight and chest lifted.
The arms can be moved in front of the chest for support.
Jump up with your arms overhead. Go back to a squat.
Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 5 reps
Total time: 30 seconds to 1 minute
Benefits:
It benefits people who are looking to improve balance and agility. It is also ideal for people who are looking to boost their kicking and running ability.
Lateral Shuffles
Lateral shuffles are cardio workouts where the person moves from side to side with coordination and increases the heart rate.
Steps:
It is done by standing with the foot-hip width apart.
Lean forward slightly and bracing the core, push from left to right in an appropriate form. Then, continue to shuffle by repeating from side to side.
This move requires sufficient area in our home.
Reps: 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps each.
Total time: 30 seconds to 1 minute
Benefits:
Jumping is an exercise with fast movements, and it activates the muscle fibres and helps build the strength and power of the muscles.
Plank Shoulder Tap
Plank shoulder tap is among the challenging cardio exercises, which are also an arm and abs workout, and it is also among the good cardio workouts for women and men.
Steps:
Start in a plank with your back, spine, and head aligned in a straight line.
Position your wrists below the shoulder.
The feet should be hip-width apart.
With your right hand, touch your left shoulder and return to the start position.
Repeat the same with your left hand and continue on alternating sides.
Reps: 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Total time: 1 minute
Benefits:
It is like a great
upper body exercise that strengthens the upper body and the core. This cardio exercise can also improve flexibility and posture.
Crab Walk
Crab walks are cardio workouts for women to allow the blood flow better. It is among the ideal cardio exercises for beginners as it is simple and easy to do.
Steps:
This is done by sitting on the floor with the knees bent, hands placed under the shoulders with feet flat, and fingers are pointing forward.
Walk backwards using both arms and legs, and then take care to distribute the weight evenly.
Keep walking for a desired distance and then walk forwards.
Reps: 3 to 4 sets of 10 reps
Total time: 1 minute to 1 min 30 seconds
Benefits:
This cardio for beginners strengthens the upper arms and works the core, back and legs effectively.
Benefits of Doing Cardio Workouts
Following are the advantages of including cardio workouts in your home workout routine:
Weight Loss
One of the main reasons for doing cardio exercises is weight loss, and it helps burn fat and calories while making you look slim.
Heart Health
Thirty minutes of the best cardio exercises at home or a gym every day will prevent the risk of stroke, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and provide the heart with good blood flow.
Reduces Stress
Cardio exercises for weight loss increase the norepinephrine in the body that helps manage the brain's response to various stressful circumstances. A quick workout can reduce the stress amidst any demanding and hectic day by getting sweaty, and this is the best way to deal with mental tension.
Mood Booster
Cardio workouts relax the mind with a post-exercise endorphin rush to make a person feel happy. The mood-boosting benefits of cardio exercise are essential for good mental health.
Excess Energy
Half an hour of cardio for fat loss will boost the energy levels even when it is at zero by delivering oxygen and nutrients to the muscle tissues and aiding the cardiovascular system to work better. So it is a great answer to
how to increase stamina at homeEnhances Memory
Half an hour of best cardio exercises helps recollect and boost memory power by increasing the population of cells responsible for learning and gaining more memory.
Increases Productivity
The benefits of cardio exercise are that it increases the productivity of people who work and helps them raise their outputs.
Creativity Skill
The 30-minute cardio workout will develop a refreshing and recharging feel that will favour the creativity skill in people.
Self-confidence Development
Half an hour of cardio for weight loss will heighten the self-confidence levels in the person. In the long run, it develops the personality and transforms the individual.
Disadvantages of Doing Cardio Workouts
If you do only cardio exercises for weight loss, one might experience some disadvantages. Some of them are:
1. Decrease in Lean mass
2. Slow metabolism
3. Reduced loss of fat
4. Stress response
5. Boredom
To overcome this, you can also do strength training at least a couple of times a week.
Dos & Don’ts
The many benefits of cardio exercises can be had only if you follow the dos and don’ts:
Dos
1. Use a warm-up session.
2. In case you are doing cardio exercises at the gym, ensure that you choose the right equipment.
3. Start slowly.
4. Stretch after every exercise
5. Set proper goals and include effective cardio exercises.
6. Limit exercises to up to 20 to 25 minutes every session.
7. Get your heart rate up
8. Focus on strength training and weights.
Don’ts
1. Skip warm up.
2. Do the same cardio exercises every day.
3. Make cardio the only focus of your workout.
4. Work with pain
5. Skip breakfast and indulge in unhealthy food.
Things Required to do Cardio Workouts if You Are at Home & Gym?
There is no need for any special equipment for doing cardio at home. A good supportive pair of shoes and a water bottle is all that is needed for a workout at home. However, in a gym, many machines can help you work out effectively. It includes:
1. Treadmills
2. Ellipticals
3. Stair climbers
4. Exercise bikes
5. Rowing machines
At Home Cardio Exercises: A Guide
The solution to being unable to get outside for a daily run or missing to hit the gym is performing cardio at home. One can do cardio exercises for beginners at home with aerobics and other simple exercises that increase the heart rate and pump blood faster. Performing cardio exercises at home ensure that oxygen is delivered throughout the whole system and keeps the lungs and heart-healthy. In addition, regular cardio exercises at home will help a person lose weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and get better sleep. There are many cardio classes online these days to help people work out at their own home to benefit well through it. They involve
HIIT Workout and
strength training with the available resources.
List of the Most Effective Home Cardio Exercises
There are various cardio exercises to be done at home that effectively work the whole body and increase the heart rate tremendously. But the best cardio workouts are the moves that are more effective with regular practice than the rest. They are stair climbing, aerobic dance moves, and burpees. These cardio exercises can be performed at home without any special equipment and minimal space through online gym training options. Some of the best cardio exercises at home that are effective are:
1. Stair Climbing
2.
Dance exercises
3. Burpees
4. Jumping Jacks
5. Standing Oblique Crunch
6. Crab Walk
7. Lateral Shuffles
8. Butt Kicks
9. High Knees
10. Side Skaters
11. Toe Taps
12. Mountain Climbers
13. Plank Hops
14. Diagonal Jumps
15. Rotational Jacks
16. Inchworm Crawl
What do 30 minutes of Cardio do?
Performing the best cardio exercises in the daily routine can be a total game-changer that changes the lifestyle. One can do plenty of cardio at home exercises without even having to sweat at the gym. The habit of practising fitness in your own space eventually becomes a lifetime habit, improving overall health and well-being. It is also seen to reduce body fat within 60 days effectively. High-intensity cardio for weight loss burns more calories, and with regular activity every day, it helps to lose 4 kgs in three months. A person achieves the various other goodness and benefits of cardio exercise by doing thirty minutes of cardio for fat loss every day.
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