Cardio Exercises You Can Practice at Home Without Equipment
The heart is the powerhouse in our body. In fact, a healthy heart will, most likely, translate to a healthy life. Therefore, it is imperative that we do whatever it takes to maintain a healthy heart. And, one of the ways to do this is by eating low fat meals. Meanwhile, another way is to do cardio at home without equipment.
But, what exactly is cardio? Indeed, cardio, in short, are simply exercises that increase your heart rate. Moreover, cardio exercises have a plethora of advantages. From improving blood circulation to controlling cholesterol levels, cardio workouts basically keep you alive and healthy. In this article, we will explore some cardio exercises that you can do right in the comfort of your home.
Squat Jump
Now, doing a squat is a cardio exercise. But, so is jumping. So, when you combine both, it becomes a pretty effective cardio exercise. Furthermore, this cardio exercise requires a minimal amount of space. This is because you will be almost in the same physical location on the floor.
To do this, first you stand erect with your hands stretched out. Bend your knees and get in a squatting position. Next, jump from the squatting position, and squat on your way down. And, repeat this sequence for the duration of the workout.. Incidentally, doing the squat jump for 15 minutes can burn as much as 100 calories.
Jump Rope
Tiffany Haddish, an American comedian once said, "Nobody messes with a girl that skips". I think that's quite a good incentive to skip.
Though more common among women, jump rope, or skipping is used by professional athletes to stay fit. Skipping can be done anywhere, with a simple rope that can be purchased anywhere.
To practice this, hold the two ends of a rope; one with each hand. Next, flip the rope over your head and then below your feet, jumping up just before the rope is about to make contact with your feet. Doing this for just 20 minutes can burn as much as 220 calories.
Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks, much like jump rope is a familiar childhood playground activity. This is a very simple exercise that can be done right in your home, with very little space and absolutely no equipment necessary.
So, if you wanted to have a 30-minute workout session, you could do a little bit of jumping jacks, and a little bit of jump rope and jump squats to spice it up.
To do this workout, simply stand with your feet together and your arms placed straight down by your sides. Next, jump and spread your legs apart. At the same tie, lift your arms so the palms come close together over your head. Next, go back to the initial starting position with your feet together and arms straight down by your sides. Repeat in a quick succession. Doing this for only 10 minutes can burn as many as 100 calories.
Jogging in Place
An outdoor run is definitely a lot of fun, but what if it was raining, or snowing heavily? There would be no satisfaction of coming back home all sweaty. The good news is that you can still jog in your home, and you can do so without a treadmill.
This doesn't involve a lot of activity. All you need to do is jog in a stationary position. But it definitely gets your heart pumping. That, after all, is the purpose of any cardio exercise. By the way, it is better to put on your shoes to support your feet. Also, put on good shoes to avoid injuring your feet.
If this sounds a little boring, and you happen to have some change, you can buy a very affordable treadmill with pretty impressive features including a multi-function LCD screen that provides you real-time data about your workout.
Dancing
An opportunity to exercise your cardiovascular muscles and your soul at the same time has got to be the ideal workout experience. Jogging in place sounds a little too boring for you? If so, crank up the music and start dancing.
This can absolutely be fun, perhaps the ultimate experience for an indoor cardio. Dancing gets your heart beat faster, and as a bonus can also help build your muscles.
You really don't need instructions as to how to move your body to a song. But if you want to learn some new moves, or get a structured lesson, there are a lot of videos online to help you do that. Incidentally, dancing for 30 minutes can burn as much as 150 calories.
Kickboxing
If you are athletic, and you want to really feel the adrenaline rush that comes with cardio exercises, then kickboxing is just the thing for you.
Kickboxing has an exhaustive list of pros, and that includes therapeutic advantages in getting rid of anger and stress. You can do this in the comfort of your home. In fact, a punching bag is all you need for a kickboxing session.
Kickboxing, as the name implies involves a mixture of boxing and karate. Doing this for just 10 minutes can burn as much as 100 calories.
Conclusion
There are quite a number of other cardio exercises ranging from simple to difficult that you can do at home with zero equipment: Touch toes, speed skaters, crab walk, lateral shuffles, butt kicks, high knees, running the stairs, and even burpees.
You can try whatever works for you, a combination of two or three exercises for a few minutes every day is sufficient.
Recent study has shown that drinking coffee before workout has a number of advantages both during and after a workout.
Caffeine makes you more alert, reduces muscle pain during exercise and even helps consume less cholesterol post workout. Be sure to get a coffee maker that makes an espresso with cafe quality macrofoam and have yourself a cup of coffee before you work out.