7 Different Cardio Workouts To Try For Weight Loss

Your heart is your body’s engine. Fail to keep it in shape, and you risk developing cardiovascular diseases.

37% of premature deaths occur due to heart disease. But it’s not all doom and gloom, because there’s a huge number of exercises you can do to give your heart the workout it needs.

Below, we’ve put together 7 different cardio workouts you can try today.

Walking

Yup, heart health can be as simple as a brisk walk.

Experts say even a brisk 10-minute walk a day can help maintain a healthy heart. But cranking up your number of minutes can boost your benefits.

Walking is also perfect if you’re just starting out. The old phrase is spot on – don’t run before you can walk.

You’ll get used to walking after a while. Then you can take the next step, and start walking longer, faster, or on hills to force your body to work harder.

The trick here is to keep it brisk. You’re aiming to get your heart rate up and your lungs working. A gentle stroll and a chat won’t get the work done.

Running and Jogging

When you’re ready to take it to the next level, running and jogging are brilliant options. They’ll boost your oxygen intake, give your lungs a workout, and get your heart pumping.

Some people jog around the neighborhood. Others prefer to hit the gym. However you do it, you can throw it in with different cardio workouts to get some variety.

Signing up for a marathon or other running event can give you the incentive you need to keep going when it gets tough.

If you’re hitting the treadmill and want some visible results, consider trying the tone it up treadmill workout.

Intense Yoga

What, you consider yoga a fancy way of stretching? Wrong.

Once you get past the basic poses and build some flexibility, you can use yoga to go all out. It’s a full-body exercise scientifically shown to elevate the heart rate – and that’s exactly what “cardio” means.

If you’re struggling with limited mobility, yoga can also help prep you for other exercises. Like walking, you can start out low-impact and see your improvement over time.

Once you’re ready, you can crank up the dial with more intense yoga workouts. Even at its most intense, yoga probably won’t match some of the others listed here. But it’s great for variety and for preventing injury from more vigorous activities, so combine it with different cardio workouts for best results.

Stair-Climbing

Here’s another exercise you can do at home for free.

Stair-climbing is as simple as it sounds. You can climb the stairs in your house for multiple reps, or you can hit the gym to use a stair-climber. Either way, your body gains the benefits of walking with the added workout of climbing.

If you’ve ever noticed yourself getting out of breath when climbing stairs, then you already know what a good workout it can be. It works for all the same reasons that hills make for a tougher walk.

Rowing

If you ready to make a splash in your cardio routine, try rowing.

You’ll need the proper equipment for this one. But you can install a rowing machine at home or join the gym to get access to one. You can use different rowing exercises to get a full body workout, but it’s also one of the best for cardiovascular fitness.

Rowing is a great option for the couch-potato-at-heart. If you do it at home, you don’t even have to give up TV time. Having something to keep your attention occupied can also help take your mind off the strain of exercise, allowing you to push yourself further.

Cycling

Cycling is another great low-impact way of getting more cardio in your life. And unlike some exercises, you can even sub cycling into your day in place of other activities, like driving to work.

Many workplaces now incentivize cycling, or at least offer shower facilities. So it’s more practical than ever to build more cardio into your day.

If you struggle with boredom during your workout, cycling could be just the thing you need. You can seek out interesting cycling trails and connect with other cyclists. As you get more confident, you can take on more challenging routes.

It’s also a great way to get away from the city and enjoy some rural air – and you don’t need a sedentary car ride to take you there.

Perhaps you live with unreliable weather, or lycra just isn’t for you. In that case, you can buy an exercise bike for your home or visit public facilities to experience similar benefits.

Like rowing, you can combine at-home cycling with your usual entertainments. Watching a movie and cycling a dozen blocks don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Jump Rope

Ever seen a boxer doing a jump rope routine? They’re obviously not doing it for strength purposes.

Jump rope increases your cardiovascular fitness, as well as your agility. You’ll need to have a little more confidence in your mobility to do it. But if you’re at that point, it can add a good, intense workout to your routine.

But one of the main benefits of jump rope is its versatility. You can do it indoors or out. The “equipment” is a simple piece of rope you can buy cheaply. And it won’t take up an entire corner of your living room, either.

Different Cardio Workouts for Weightloss Success

One of the best things you can do when trying to lose weight is to try different cardio workouts. You won’t always know which suits you before you start, and if you’ve tried a few then you can mix and match in a way that fits your lifestyle. Whatever you do, keep at it. Your body will thank you in the long run.

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