Whether you’re looking to fulfil your weight loss goals, or simply stay in shape, cardio is a great form of exercise in that it works every part of the body for an all-inclusive workout. Not to mention the fact that there are numerous health benefits that come with a regularly scheduled cardio routine.
To obtain the best results, an aerobic exercise session involves a warming up period to include stretching, followed by at least 20 minutes of moderate to intense exercise, and a cooling down period at the end, also to include stretching. Don’t be afraid to combine various types of exercises in to your daily routine. Again, this is when you see the best results.
In a 30-minute span, the majority of the exercises listed here can have you burning over 400 calories. It’s as if that big bowl of ice cream that you ate after dinner will be wiped from your day! The best part about these exercises is that you can a) do some of them without having to pay for a gym membership, b) recruit some family members to stay in shape with you and c) enjoy taking in some of the scenery surrounding where you work or live while exercising.
Exercising may not be on any of our lists of favourite things to do, but in order to stay fit and healthy, why not make it fun, too?
Bicycling. Time to dust off the seat, polish the spokes and get riding. Depending on how fast you go and how high the resistance is set to, you’ll increase endurance while burning a lot of calories since you are utilising mostly the power in your legs. If you happen to belong to a gym, and you like the idea of getting a work out on a bicycle, check to see if there are spinning classes available. Spinning is a high-intensity workout to music which is extremely challenging. You can also do this in the comfort of your own home if you have a stationary bike and a good spinning workout video.
Swimming. When you want to work just about every muscle group in your body, go swimming. In fact, the more muscles you use, which depends on the type of swimming stroke used and the intensity, the more you’ll burn. The most widely used strokes include freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke.
Rock Climbing. Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one that often tests a climber’s strength, endurance, agility and balance along with mental control. It can be a dangerous sport and knowledge of proper climbing techniques and the use of specialised climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes. If you don’t live in an area that is conducive to this type of exercise, there are facilities that have indoor man made rock climbing walls.
Hill Walking / Hiking. For a change in scenery, and of particular interest for nature enthusiasts, hill walking (hiking) is a great way to exercise while enjoying the outdoors. The difficulty of the terrain hiked will depend on the calories burned.
Running. All you need is a good pair of running shoes and a safe place to run. Running is one of the best forms of exercise in that you can burn a lot of calories depending upon the level of intensity by adding hills or sprints. Your metabolism kicks in to high gear when you sprint, and most often stays at a high level for days. An ideal routine would be to combine running with sprinting.
Elliptical Trainer. Even though this type of machine would either have to be purchased or used at your local gym facility, we added this form of exercise since it simulates running or walking without causing excessive pressure to the joints, hence decreasing the risk of impact injuries. If you like cross-country skiing, this machine will give you a similar workout.
Step Aerobics. This form of exercise has been around for a while, and is not going to be put on the back of a shelf since it provides a tough workout. The high impact, high intensity workouts target the main areas that a woman normally wants to hone in on: legs, hips, buttocks and glutes.
Squash / Raquetball. The side to side sprinting endured in a game of squash will get your heart racing like no other. Since the level is intense and needs to be played with at least one other person, it’s the perfect workout to involve family or friends.
Recommended Reading
For more information and advice on cardio workouts, take a look at the following books:
Introducing Cardio Barre - The Revolutionary 8-Week Program for Total Mind/Body Transformation
101 Ways To Burn Fat On The Ball: Lose Weight with Fun Cardio and Body-Sculpting Moves!
Fit in 15: 15-Minute Morning Workouts that Balance Cardio, Strength, and Flexibility
Elle Glam Fitness - Complete Cardio: The Dance-Inspired Workout to a Leaner Body
Morning Cardio Workouts
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