A sedentary lifestyle can have more adverse effects than just unwanted weight gain. As many medical issues are involved with a sedentary lifestyle, you have more to lose than just your looks. But if you still feel that going to the gym is not your cup of tea, you can spend a few minutes daily doing some home workout. The best thing about this is that you do not require a lot of cardio equipment to do them.
Sure, you may miss out on the intense weight lifting and adrenaline rush of the gym, but intense aerobic workouts can be just as beneficial. In fact, it is recommended to engage in 150-300 minutes of intense physical activity every week.
So, if having no time is your excuse, engage in these cardio workouts at home for the best results.
Spot jogging
Spot jogging or jogging in place is a very simple yet effective cardio workout to get the heart pounding. Many pro-level athletes even use this as a warm-up exercise. Simply stand in a place and bounce lightly from one foot to another while swinging the arms side-to-side. You can increase the intensity or pace as you get better at it. This will surely get the blood sugar levels in control, and you can burn a lot of calories and improve circulation in the body too.
Jump rope
The only cardio equipment you need while performing jump rope exercises is, of course, a jumping rope. This simple tool comes with many benefits. You can improve your bone and muscle strength and your cardiorespiratory fitness. If you have never tried this before, start with air jumps. You can include the jumping rope and increase the intensity as you improve. You can burn 300-450 calories by just doing 30 minutes of jumping rope.
Jumping jacks
Another classic warm-up exercise you can do at home to improve cardiovascular abilities is jumping jacks. You do not need any cardio equipment to perform this and can start anywhere you like. Stand with your hips wide apart and arms down first. Then raise the arms to the sides while jumping out with the feet apart. Then jump back into the initial stance again and land softly. An average person weighing 175 lbs can burn about 350 calories by doing 30 minutes of this exercise.
Mountain climbers
Mountain climbers are an excellent calisthenic and full-body workout that you can include in your cardio sessions. This advanced routine engages your cores and lower body parts for intense training. Start in the standard push-up position and then keep switching the positions of the legs alternately while keeping the hands and hip level fixed. A 130-pound person can burn about 650-700 calories per hour while doing this workout. However, you do not need to do it for an hour. Start with four sets of 20 reps and try to complete it by resting for not more than a minute between sets.
Squat jumps
If you want to progress to more advanced workouts, then try performing the squat jumps, which are an advanced version of the classic squat. Do the squat as you normally would. But instead of getting up from the squat position, jump up, extending the hips. Then come back to the standing position by landing softly and repeat it. Doing 30 sets of this exercise can help you burn up to 100 calories, so you can guess how effective it is.
Conclusion
You do not always need heavy equipment or a gym membership to start your fitness journey. If you are at a beginner level, you can begin at home. As you gradually progress, you may need the assistance of a professional fitness coach to guide you. But even then, there is no excuse not to stay active while at home.
So, pick from the above list and get started. Even better, you can try performing all the above exercises and create your own customised circuit-training routine.
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