Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Cardio Workout

The aerobic exercises in this article are a practical approach to increasing the intensity of your workouts if you’re looking to spice up and challenge your at-home fitness regimen. Powerful, explosive motions are a good alternative When using body weight to accomplish a terrific cardio workout.

Depending on your fitness level and training objectives, you may do the following exercises at your speed. Add activities after your typical cardio workout, or include them in a circuit training routine to increase intensity and variety. They don’t make up a single workout. Here are some activities to think about.

Froggy Leaps

Froggy jumps are a high-intensity exercise and an excellent technique to raise your heart rate quickly. This challenging workout will improve your lower body strength and cardiovascular stamina while increasing your calorie expenditure.

• Set your feet about hip-width apart and squat until your hands are on the floor before you.
• Utilizing the strength in your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, explode and leap high.
• Tap your heels together as you leap and place your hands behind your head or in the air.
• To preserve the joints, land with bent knees. Then, crouch down again to be ready for the next leap.
• Do 10 to 20 more froggy hops. If desired, take a break and repeat.
• Don’t squat down if your knees are bothering you. Alternatively, omit the squat altogether and immediately rise at the end of the exercise.

Burpees

Some of us may still clearly recall burpees from high school gym class. This challenging workout is so memorable because it engages every muscle in the body and quickly raises the heart rate.

The action is simple yet very taxing on the heart, lungs, and muscles. Add it to your aerobic routine to increase the difficulty and improve your power, agility, and endurance.

• Place your hands on the floor in front of you as you squat to the floor while standing with your feet approximately hip-width apart.
• In a push-up posture on your hands and toes with your body in a straight line, jump forcefully with your feet extended behind you.
• Perform a push-up on your knees or toes (this is optional and dramatically increases the effort). 
• Jump your feet back at the beginning, get to your feet, and continue for 10 to 15 times or for 30 to 60 seconds.

Alpine Climbers

Advanced, high-intensity exercises like mountain climbing will raise your heart rate and intensify your workouts. This workout is excellent all-around since it will improve your agility and leg endurance.

If this is a new motion for you, ease into it gradually with gentle repetitions; if you experience any pain or discomfort, stop. You’ll need a lot of core strength and upper-body stamina for this exercise.

• Do a push-up on your hands and toes with your back flat and abs tight.
• As you bring your right knee towards your chest, place the foot flat on the ground.
• Jump up and bring the left foot in and the right foot out as you swap the feet in the air.
• For 30 to 60 seconds, keep switching your feet as quickly as possible while staying safe.
• Put your hands on a step, platform, or the dome-side down of a BOSU Balance Trainer to adapt this workout. Another option is to run your knees in and out instead of putting your toes on the floor and swapping feet in the air.

Jump Squats

Squat leaps are a fantastic technique to increase your exercise difficulty and heart rate.

Add these to the conclusion of your typical cardio workout for an extra kick. Repeat them often during your workout to enhance the intensity or change things.

Because of the high-impact nature of this advanced exercise, you should land with soft knees to safeguard your joints. Do the maneuver without leaping if the impact is too significant. Take your time and begin with modest leaps if this is the first time you have performed this technique. Avoid this activity if you experience any discomfort or pain.

• Start with your feet around hip distance apart and your core engaged.
• Squat as low as you can, if you can, putting your fingers on the ground. Send the hips back to keep the knees from being under too much stress.
• Sweeping your arms upward, leap as high as you can.
• For 30 to 60 seconds, bring your knees back to a gentle squat position.

Jacks To A Step, Jumping

Jumping jacks are excellent, but adding a step can amp up the difficulty and variety. Because of the heavy force of this technique, fall softly on your knees to safeguard your joints.

If you’re doing it for the first time, start with the step in the lowest position. Avoid this activity if you experience any discomfort or pain.

• Place both feet on a step or platform while facing it.
• If leaping seems risky or unpleasant, walk down to the floor instead of springing back up.
• Leap jacks are performed on the ground, followed by a rebound leap back up the step.
• For 30 to 60 seconds, alternate between a leap on the step and a jumping jack.
• Use a lower step or do jumping jacks on the ground to alter. The action may also be made less forceful by jumping staggered, with one foot landing on the stage shortly before the other.

Toe Tapping and Jumps

Toe taps are excellent for increasing ferocity and enhancing agility. If this is a move you haven’t done before, take your time and ease into it with gentle taps instead of the leap. Avoid this activity if you experience any discomfort or pain.

Remember that you may do this exercise without a step or tapping on any firm object, such as a BOSU or the bottom stair step.

• Face a step or platform while standing.
• Step forward and touch your right toe to the step before jumping up and putting your left toe to the action. 
• Tap your toes alternately for 30 to 60 seconds as swiftly and carefully as you can.

Side-To-Side Lunge Jumps

Side-to-side lunges are a fantastic all-body cardio workout that will increase your heart rate. This motion may be performed without a leap or a jump to increase the intensity.

If you’ve never done this move, take your time and ease into it with gentle repetitions. If you experience discomfort or pain, skip this exercise.8. Engage your abs to protect your back and avoid contacting the floor if you have back problems.

• Turn your body to the left in a runner’s lunge by extending your right leg to the side and bending your left knee. If you can, touch your proper fingertips to the ground.
• Quickly leap into the air, adjust your feet, and lunge to the right while touching your left hand to the ground.
• Continually switch sides for another 30 to 60 seconds.

Convict Squat Jumps

Prisoner squat leaps target the core more than regular squat jumps do. Your abs and back are worked, which stresses your body, as you place your hands behind your head and bend forward.

Because of the high-impact nature of this advanced exercise, you should land with soft knees to safeguard your joints. Do the maneuver without leaping if the impact is too significant. Take your time and begin with modest leaps if this is the first time you have performed this technique. Avoid this activity if you experience any discomfort or pain.

• Start by standing with wide feet and your hands behind your head.
• Put your torso slightly forward without curving your back as you squat as low as possible.
• Keeping your hands behind your head, jump as high as you can.
• Repetition for 30 to 60 seconds should be done with soft knees.

Lengthy Jumps

Long leaps are a quick and easy approach to make your exercises more challenging and intense. You leap forward as much as possible and land on both feet while doing long leaps. Both your heart and your core will work hard throughout this workout.

Land with soft knees to ensure the safety of this maneuver. Try a staggered landing if you need to adjust (one foot lands slightly before the other). As usual, if you experience any pain or discomfort, avoid this motion. Try landing with your weight in your heels and starting with tiny leaps if this maneuver bothers your knees.

• Ensure you have enough room in front of you while standing with your feet together.
• Squat down and leap as far forward as you can in one swift motion.
• To safeguard the joints, land on your knees bent.
• Then, turn around and advance in the other direction, continuing throughout the room.
• For 30 to 60 seconds, repeat.

Piata Jacks

Plyometric jumping jacks are another exercise to raise your heart rate and exert additional physical demands on your body.

Jumping jacks done slowly are known as plyo jacks. Just as in a jumping jack, you land on your feet, but slow down and add a deep squat. Back together in the air, you land in another deep squat.

Your hips, glutes, thighs, and, of course, your heart rate are all put to the test during this cardio workout. The technique gains considerable intensity by circling the arms.

• Starting with your feet together, crouch down while raising your arms in front of you.
• Jump your feet out, stoop down, and raise your arms over your head in a circle.
• Bring your feet together as you leap up again, then circle your arms back down.

Jumping Lunges

Another fantastic plyometric exercise that can help develop lower body strength and power is lunges.

This exercise is also great for increasing heart rate, burning calories, and toning the thighs, glutes, and hips. If this technique is too difficult, stay with static lunges instead of this high-impact, high-intensity cardio workout.

• Right leg in front, left leg behind as you adopt a split stance.
• Lower into a lunge while bending your knees.
• Jump high into the air, swap your legs, and land with your right leg behind you and your left leg in front.
• Jump and swap sides while landing softly and lowering into a lunge.
• Repeat for 1 to 3 sets, each lasting 10 to 60 seconds.

Running Static

If you’re confined inside, one of the easiest methods to raise your heart rate is to jog in place. Since there is no forward motion or wind resistance, it is not as intense as running outdoors. However, running up and down the stairs or around the home while moving your arms may help you sweat more. 

• Lift your knees as you march while flapping your arms.
• As you grow used to the activity, transition into a gentle jog while keeping your feet close to the ground.
• Every time you jog, bring your heels up to your glutes.
• Elevate your knees or pump your arms above as you jog more quickly.
•  Repeat as many times as you can for 30 to 60 seconds. This exercise may also be used in a cardio workout.

Running While Kneeling High

Try elevating your knees high while you run to increase the intensity of your stationary jogging. If you can, bring your knees up to your hips tocardio workout your quadriceps, hip flexors, and core.

• Every time you jog in place, raise your knees high.
• Try raising the knees to hip level while maintaining your core tight to preserve your back.
• Each time you jog, attempt to bring your knees to your hands by keeping your hands at hip level to make it more difficult. Instead of lowering your hands to your knees, raise your knees to your hands.
• By lifting your arms, you may add force.
• Repeat as many times as you can for 30 to 60 seconds. This exercise may also be used in a cardio workout.