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Working out at home? Add these cardio exercises to your workout routine

Doing cardio exercises at home is not only safe during the pandemic time but is also convenient and time-saving. Cardio exercises provide several health benefits like increasing oxygen and blood supply throughout your body and improving cardiovascular, pulmonary, and muscular health, etc. It also gives stress relief and makes you sleep better.

You don’t need to buy any costly equipment to do cardio at home. All you need is an exercise mat.

Mountain climbers

Mountain climbing is also called running planks. It helps to exercise your entire body and increases your heart rate. It is a great exercise for building core strength and cardio endurance. You will be able to burn calories and increase your agility.

How to do:

  • Start with the plank position. Keep your weight evenly distributed on your toes and hands.

  • Pull your right knee towards your chest as much as you can.

  • Then come back to the plank position and continue with your left leg.

  • Increase the speed and do it as fast as you can.

  • Don’t hold your breath. Alternate inhaling and exhaling when you change your legs.

Burpees

This is also a total body workout like mountain climbers. It helps to build strength, improve flexibility, and increase aerobic fitness. As a beginner, you can start with 10 burpees and then slowly increase the count. You should do burpees as a set of 10 or 20 or 25. Then take a break before continuing the next set. This will give you more benefits than doing 50 or more without a break.

How to do:

  • Start at the standing position.

  • Drop to a squat with your palms on the floor.

  • Push your feet to go to the plank position.

  • Then jump back to the squat position.

  • Stand up and jump with your hands extended in the air.

Lunges

Lunges is a strength training exercise that works the muscles in the lower body. It helps in weight loss, burning fat, and building lean muscle, making your body aligned. It also increases your heart rate. You can do 20 lunges at a time. Take a break and continue with the next set.

How to do:

  • Stand with your feet apart. Make sure you keep your shoulders relaxed and the core tight.

  • Extend the right leg back.

  • Push your right foot off to lift the right knee jumping in the air.

  • Return the right foot to the initial position.

  • Repeat with the left leg.

Crab walk

This is an excellent full-body workout, especially the shoulders, upper arms, core, and upper legs. It tones up the muscles and builds strength. It increases heart rate, keeps blood flowing, and strengthens the legs and arms. As a beginner, you should start with 3 sets of 7-10 walks.

How to do:

  • Sit on the floor with the knees bent, feet flat, and palms on the floor.

  • Lift your hips and walk backwards using arms and legs.

  • Continue walking to a distance.

Squat jumps

It helps in working your butt, legs, and core. It increases your heart rate and improves your cardiovascular strength. It strengthens the thighs and butt. It burns calories very fast.

How to do:

  • Start standing with feet apart.

  • Lower into a squat position with your knees bent. Make sure the spine is straight and the chest is lifted.

  • Then jump straight up swinging your hands above your head.

There are many more cardio exercises like jumping jacks, inchworms, bear crawl, on-the-spot jogging, and many more. Make sure you start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down stretching to decrease the risk of injuries.

Text: Raddhika Devi