Cardio Exercises You Can Do at Home

It's important to participate in daily exercise, no matter where you are. So, staying at home is no excuse for not doing a little exercise each day.
Cardio Exercises You Can Do at Home

Last update: 30 September, 2018

In order to exercise with the objective of staying in the best physical shape, you need to want it and be willing. Besides some obvious exceptions, pretexts such as, “I don’t have time!” Or “I don’t have the money to buy the right clothes and equipment!” Are just excuses! Here are some great cardio exercises that you can do at home.

See also Tips For Slimming Down With Cardio

Jogging in place

Many sports and cardio exercise programs include jogging intervals during their warm up routines.

You can apply this concept when doing cardio exercises at home.

After doing stretches, which is a must, you can jog in place for 10 minutes. This is more than enough to prepare your muscles for the workout you’re about to do. As its name would imply, jogging in place, consists of simulating the act of jogging, without moving. When it comes to warm up exercise, maximum intensity is not recommended. At least, not from the get-go.

In general, the majority of aerobic routines begin with moderate exercise, even those with high intensity intervals, such as HIIT Workouts.

Star jumps

It’s simple to perform this exercise, that’s also known as jumping jacksYou should be standing, with your feet together and your hands down by your sides.

woman-doing-jumping-jacks-and-cardio-exercises

Next, you should jump and land with your feet apart, raising your hands above your head and touching them together. Immediately jump back to return to your original position.

Do three or four sets of 20 to 25 repetitions, applying moderate or high intensity. Another option is repeating this cardio exercise as many times as possible in 30 to 45 second intervals, taking 20 to 30 seconds of rest in between.

You just have to be mindful of your surroundings and ensure that you don’t bump anything with your hands.  Don’t jump so high that you hit the ceiling, or bother the neighbors below, particularly if you live in a shared building.

Climbing stairs

This is one of the most basic cardio exercises that you can do at home. Those who live in buildings will have no problem. But for those who don’t have stairs in their homes, there are other options.

 

woman-on-stairs-child-playing-cardio-exercises

Some cardiologists recommend that their patients avoid using escalators and elevators while in the subway, at work, or at malls. If every physical able person followed this recommendation, people would be much healthier.

To include this cardio exercise in a physical conditioning workout, we suggest the following: climb steps two at a time, at a medium to high intensity, swinging your arms, as if you were running. 

If you live in a building, climb up two floors and down again. Take advantage of the way back down to rest. Do five repetitions.

Cardio exercises without stairs

For this exercise, you can use a small stool that should be around 50 cm high.

It should be strong enough to support the entire body weight of the person doing the exercise.

Start with both feet on the floor. Step up with one foot and then the other. Immediately jump down to return the start position, without twisting your body. Do five sets of thirty repetitions, taking one-minute rests in between sets.

Dancing: a great cardio exercise that you can do at home

The benefits of dancing have been discussed quite a lot. In addition to being a path to socialization and even courtship and romance, it’s also an excellent cardiovascular exercise. 

couple-dancing-in-the-kitchen-its-cardio-exercises

It’s ideal to dance with a partner, but you can also dance by yourself.  One option is using the Internet to search for aerobic dance routines. These could be anything from Zumba classes to Cuban salsa routines.

Jumping rope 

This is another classic exercise; easy to include in cardio routines that you can do at home. You just need a jump rope and a space that’s big enough to avoid accidents. 

More options

The possibilities are endless, from traditional abdominal exercises to planks. Additionally, you can combine four or five cardio exercises and create a 30 to 40 minute workout session. That’s enough time to burn up to 350 calories!


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.