Posted by Healthy Truth on Jul 9th 2019
Your life is so busy that you barely have time to grab breakfast on your way out the door in the morning. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on basic exercise, though. As a trainer who has been in the industry for many years, a lot of people ask me how they can do an easy cardio workout at home. Because with a busy job and a full family, it can feel impossible to get yourself to the gym.
The good news is, yes, you can certainly fit in an at-home cardio workout if you don’t have time to leave the house. However, you have to really commit to the session or else you won’t get much benefit from it. Let’s admit it — it’s hard to work up the motivation to engage in a demanding workout when it’s just you in your own living room. Here are some tips for you to fit in a simple yet effective cardio session in the comfort of your own home.
Choose a HIIT Variation of Cardio
HIIT is a buzzword you’ve probably heard a few times. It stands for high-intensity interval training, and it’s a highly effective form of cardio that involves short bursts of very high intensity followed by a short interval of rest. You repeat this cycle several times with a variety of exercises in order to get your heart rate up and improve your cardiovascular health.
Studies have shown that HIIT-type cardio has a positive effect on the body that lasts well beyond your session is over. Your metabolic rate stays elevated throughout the day, which means you’ll burn more fat and calories as you go about your normal day-to-day business. Tabata is another form of HIIT cardio that’s really effective. It follows a 20/10 format. You work for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.
Pick a Variety of Conditioning Bodyweight Exercises
The HIIT cardio format is a great thing to do with bodyweight exercises. Here’s an example cardio workout. Below are five different bodyweight movements. Do each one for 30 seconds at maximum speed, trying to fit in as many reps as possible. Rest for 15 seconds before moving onto the next one. Once you complete all five exercises, rest for 45 seconds. Then repeat that whole round four more times so you do a total of five rounds.
- Burpees
- Mountain climbers
- Tuck jumps
- Crab toe taps
- Plyo lunges
You can exchange or replace any of these movements with other bodyweight movements that are of a similar difficulty level. Because this is your workout, you have the power to include whatever movements you need to work on or you want to get better at. You’re likely exercising in a small space (unless you have a home gym), so bodyweight exercises are a really good way to do the work without having to bring in big equipment.
Create an Environment You Want to Work Out in
Turn on some music, invite some friends over, clear out some space in the living room — do whatever you need to do in order to get the job done. If you have a boring, cramped space, you probably won’t get the work done that you need to get done. Plus, environment has a really big impact on how hard you work. If you feel motivated, you’ll actually work hard. If you’re bored, chances are you won’t put in 100 percent.