You’re not in the mood to hit the gym today, but you want to burn some calories and enjoy a good cardio workout. But you don’t want to pack a gym bag, get ready and walk all the way there, or you just can’t make the extra travel time today. Or maybe you don’t even have a gym membership, but you need to up your cardio.
Calorie-Burning Cardio Exercises
Good cardio workouts can be very low-maintenance and won’t require very hi-fi equipment necessarily. Anything that gets your rate up is considered cardio exercise, and not only does it make your heart and lungs feel a lot stronger, it helps your metabolism and burns calories, of course. But going to the gym might not always work out for you, so what are some good exercises that can help you hit those cardio goals?
1. Skipping
This might take you back to when you were a little kid and you were skipping for fun. Guess what, it’s great exercise. A skipping rope or a jump rope is a pretty cheap item you can pick up anywhere, and you don’t need much room to skip a bit. You’ll burn around 220 calories every 20 minutes. Don’t try jumping too high otherwise, you might do yourself an unexpected injury, and if it’s been a while since you picked up a jump rope, be careful, because you’ll probably trip a lot. Wear a sturdy pair of shoes and keep at them. You’ll be back in the groove in no time. Your 7-year-old self would be proud!
2. Mountain Climbers
You’re going to need to bring out a mat for this. Get on all fours and then get into a push-up position, then bring your alternating knees forward and back like you’re climbing. This is especially good for strengthening your core, but it can be quite hard on your wrists because a lot of your weight is on the wrists at this point. Make sure your back stays straight during the mountain climbing exercise. It’s a relatively easy starter exercise.
3. Kickboxing
So you do need to invest in a punching bag for this one, but once you’ve got that and a decent amount of room to do this in, but once you’ve got that down and you’ve watched some training videos, you’re good. Kickboxing builds your strength and also helps you shed those calories. Also, it helps to get your anger out! This is especially good if you did karate or something as a kid and you know basically how to kick and punch. Kickboxing for 10 minutes straight at a good level of intensity can get you to burn around 100 calories. You can customize your workout according to your preferences too.
Kickboxing4. High Knees
You probably know this one and maybe you even used to do it in those sports classes in school. Run in one place while lifting your alternate knees as high as you can, chest-length maximum. Make sure your posture is straight and keep your core engaged. Keep your feet slightly apart and pump your hands as you lift.
5. Burpees
This is a very popular cardio exercise. You can burn around 100 calories in 10 minutes. Start in the standing position with your hands above your head, squat to the floor with your hands touching the ground, and then jump into the plank position with your wrists and toes holding you up. Then go back to standing and repeat. These are harder exercises, especially if you want to do them at a speed, so be careful!
6. Stair Running
This might seem like an odd one, but it’s surprisingly popular. They can be good for cardio and can also help build your strength. Make sure you’ve got a staircase with a handrail, walk up as fast as you can, and walking down is easier.
Stair RunningThe gym isn’t integral to doing good cardio. Gym culture has become a bit of a trend in modern life, and many workouts these days seem to be defined by how often you’re hitting the gym, but you can do just as well at home and save on that gym membership money. Get working!
Also read; How Many Calories Are Burned in a Plank?
