We usually associate cardio with exercises like running, riding a bike, or the typical cardio machines of the gym. But cardio is any exercise that involves putting a large part of our muscle mass to work for a longer or shorter time. Today we will see some exercises to do cardio at home. You can increase the intensity of these workouts by either adding more reps or use weights. You can also go fast or slow for a greater burn. My recommendation is that you rest a minute followed by each exercise, with little rest between reps and, if it can be, repeat each exercise 4 times.
Kneeling Up or Skipping on the Spot
The simple movement to raise the knees alternately and repeatedly is an exercise that engages most of the muscle groups of our anatomy, but especially the hip flexors, which makes our heart to put to work.
The faster we do this exercise, the more intensity we will be getting into. Likewise, the higher we raise the knees, the more effective the exercise will be. So, for beginners: we raise knees almost to the height of the hip and at medium speed and, for the advanced workout: we raise knees to the height of the hip or more and try to get more speed.
Heels Back or Running on the spot
This exercise seems similar to the previous one and resembles “running on the spot”, but here the knee flexors (ischium) do almost all the work, although the stroke and the simulation of the running movement make it a cardio exercise as well.
Just like we mentioned in the previous exercise, if we want to put more intensity, what we will do is increase the speed of the legs and arms, simulating that we run faster.
Jumping Jacks
Jumps accompanied by movement of arms manages to mobilize the whole body. When jumping, we spread our legs and put our arms up. When jumping again, we join legs and lower arms. An exercise that, apparently, seems very simple, but as the seconds pass it does not seem so easy to endure.
This exercise can also be made more intense by making the jumps higher, separating the legs more when jumping and raising the speed of execution. We can also put a squat when we open our legs, this is for advanced users.
Climbing a Chair or Step
This is a pure exercise for legs and glutes, but that will make our heart beat faster as well. We can simply get on a chair, table or step that we have at home. First, with one leg, we go down and go up with the other. Here, for greater intensity, we can play with the height of the step, the higher, more intense. The speed at which we go up and down also influences.
Air Squats
A fundamental exercise that shouldn’t be missed in any workout routine. The squat is usually identified with a pure force exercise, but if we do not add weight and make them “on the air”, it is a strength-endurance exercise.
To add more intensity, rather than making them fast, I would add a small jump when climbing or, also, hold down a couple of seconds before climbing.
Indoor Vertical Climber Cardio Machine
Due to the sliding and low impact action of this vertical climber exercise machine, our body absorbs very little impact during the time it is trained with this machine. This makes it one of the best options for training, as it does not damage the joints. Apart from this, one of the best benefits of these escalators, it is that it increases the heart rate and helps burn a greater number of calories. This plays a very important role in the reduction of abdominal fat.
Although in outdoor training the results may take longer to appear, the freedom, the health benefits, the versatility in the type of environment, and the cost associated with indoor training make it a good option, especially with today’s busy lifestyle.
