Cardio can be especially challenging because it typically requires equipment or a lot of space like a gym that most people don’t have.
When gyms shut their doors during the pandemic, people were forced to figure out new ways of getting their workouts in. Although it was tough to get used to at first, working out at home seems normal to many people now, who have found that they no longer need a gym membership just to stay in shape.
According to a 2021 survey, respondents said that working out at home has made exercise more convenient, giving them the flexibility to work out at whatever time’s suitable for them and offering more choices of activities to do (via SWNS Digital). Respondents also mentioned that they felt they had more confidence to try new activities at home rather than in the gym. A whopping 72% said they thought the pandemic would make gyms “a thing of the past.”
Still, it’s not always easy to know what exercises to do. Home treadmills and stationary bikes are increasingly popular, and they’re a significant investment in your health (via Fortune Business Insights). But you have many other options that don’t cost as much or require as much space. Here are a few simple cardio workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home.
Jumping rope
This childhood favourite playground activity is an incredible workout that takes little space, skill, or money, burns serious calories, and can kick cardio fitness into high gear. According to Nike, some of the benefits of jumping rope include burning calories, building cardiovascular fitness, and strengthening the arm and leg muscles. Jumping rope can also be considered a form of plyometric exercise, or jump training, which has unique benefits. In a 2020 study published by the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, amateur runners who warmed up with jumping rope prior to endurance running training improved their speed, jumping ability, reactive strength and arch stiffness, which boosted their performance in a 3-kilometre time trial.
Important tips for getting started: You don’t need any type of fancy rope, but you do need to make sure it’s the right length for you (via Nike). To measure, stand on the centre of your rope with both feet and a handle in each hand. Keep your arms straight and lift your hands to chest height. The ends of the rope (where it joins with the handle) should align with your armpits.
You also need a solid surface to jump on — preferably one that has a little give, like wood or rubber, which will be easier on your joints. As far as technique, you can jump single-leg or double-leg, but stay on the balls of your feet and land on bent knees to reduce the impact on your joints.
Dancing
You can get an excellent cardiovascular workout at home while dancing. According to a 2016 research review in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, study participants who engaged in moderate-intensity dancing had a reduced risk of death from heart disease than the general public. Their mortality risk was even lower than participants who engaged in moderate-intensity walking for exercise.
Whether you enjoy waltzing, ballet, or hip hop, dancing at a moderate intensity is key to reaping the benefits. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moderate-intensity activity is challenging enough to boost your heart rate and make you sweat. You could still have a conversation during moderate-intensity dancing, but it would be difficult to sing. You can compare your dance workout to these common moderate-activity exercises: fast walking, water aerobics, playing doubles tennis, riding a bike on flat or slightly hilly terrain, or pushing a lawn mower.
You should also make sure you’re dancing for at least 10 minutes at a time for it to count as cardio (via smokefree.gov). You could put on your favourite album and dance around your living room until it’s over, or you could take a class. Online dance courses are becoming more and more popular, and you can find classes in every style under the sun. Plus, instead of just getting in a workout, you’re also building a skill. According to a 2017 research review in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, learning to dance can improve your cognitive health.
Power Yoga
Many people think of stretching and relaxation when they think of doing yoga. However, there are many different types of yoga, and some of them can be physically demanding. Power yoga involves moving quickly from pose to pose and doing challenging poses such as arm balances and inversions. It’s intense enough to raise your heart rate and keep it elevated, just like common cardio workouts such as aerobics and running.
A 2018 study in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice measured heart rate, skin temperature, and fluid loss (sweat) during a 45-minute power yoga class and determined that power yoga can be considered a moderate- to vigorous-intensity form of exercise. Additionally, according to a 2017 study in the Journal of Health Psychology, you can still get the stress-reduction benefits from power yoga for which traditional, slower-paced yoga is lauded.
As a beginner, it’s better to start out in a class with a live teacher who can make sure you’re practising proper alignment, but it’s not necessary. You can find beginner power yoga classes online and just take it slow for the first couple of weeks. Like any new activity, there’s always a risk of injury if you do too much too soon without knowing the basics. Once you’ve learned those, you can continue to take classes online, or you can create your own power yoga sequence by linking some of the poses you’ve learned in sequences that you can repeat several times.
To be cont’d