8 best cardio exercises to do at home

Cardio exercises

Are you a cardio geek? Do you want to burn access calories and make your life healthy and active? If yes, then you have come to the right place. I am personally a huge cardio fan. I urge people who want to do intensive exercises or workouts, should try cardio exercises. Some people are not in favor of cardio exercises. It's their choice to dislike it because cardio sometimes requires huge stamina. It might not be easy for everyone to get used to this exercise. Cardio is also known cardiovascular exercise, or aerobic exercise. It is essential to maintain good and balanced health. As the name suggests, it will rise up your heart rate. It will make your blood pump faster. Oxygen will be delivered throughout your body with the help of simple yet efficient cardio exercises. Your heart and lungs will remain healthy with the help of simple cardio exercises. If you want to lose weight, get better sleep and minimize the risk of chronic diseases then you should perform regular cardio exercise. However, due to the pandemic and situations around the world these days, it is now difficult for exercisers to hit gym everyday. We also need to protect ourselves from this brutal virus. Therefore, we must do exercise from our home. There are plenty of cardio exercises that we can do at home.

1. High knees

This is the most common and the easiest cardio exercise. It will help you tone your leg muscles and trim your belly fat. In order to perform this exercise: 
  • Come in your standing position. Join your legs and your arms will be at your sides.
  • Lift up your right knee toward in the direction of your chest.
  • Lower down your right leg and repeat with the left knee.
  • Continue the same procedure with alternating knees, pushing your arms up and down.
[caption id="attachment_14628" align="aligncenter" width="300"]high-knees high-knees[/caption]

2. Crab walk

Cardio is not the name of just one exercise, rather it includes multiple aerobic as well as intensive cardiovascular exercises that will help you reduce your weight. How to perform crab walk:
  • Take a yoga mat and sit on the floor, bent your knees and make your feet in a flat position.
  • Place your hands under your shoulders on the floor.
  • Point your fingers in the forward direction.
  • Start crawling in the forward direction and come back in your position
  • Keep your weight distributed evenly between your arms and legs.
  • Repeat the procedure with alternative positions.

3. Crunches (in sitting position)

Crunches is that type of cardio exercise that will help you gain strength and balance. It will also help you to  straighten your back and make your back stronger. How to perform:
  • Sit on the yoga mat with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Your hands shall be placed on the back of your head.
  • Your elbows must point outward.
  • Lift up your hips from the the floor.
  • Bent forward with adjacent knee and elbow touching each other.
  • Return to starting position. Repeat on the left side.
[caption id="attachment_14629" align="aligncenter" width="300"]crunches crunches[/caption]

4. Jumping jacks - cardio exercises

Jumping Jacks is the best exercise to burn excessive calories. It is the best cardio and it will help you increase your heart rate. It is one of the oldest exercises which is performed by many young as well as adults. In order to start this exercise:
  • Join your legs together and stand straight. Your arms should be at your sides.
  • Slightly bend down your knees.
  • Take a jump and spread your legs wider than the width of your shoulder.
  • From here, lift up your arms above your head.
  • Jump again to center.
  • Repeat the procedure to continue jumping jacks.
[caption id="attachment_14630" align="aligncenter" width="300"]jumping-jacks-cardio-exercises jumping-jacks[/caption]

5. Squat jumps

Squats are an easy way to give shape to your butt and make your belly flat. How to perform squat jumps:
  • In order to start the jump, expand your shoulder with feet apart.
  • Bend down your knees and lower into the position of squat.
  • From here, swing back your arms.
  • Swing your arms quickly upward and do a slight jump.
  • Land back gently on the ground in a squat position.
  • Repeat the procedure five times to get best results.
[caption id="attachment_14631" align="aligncenter" width="300"]squat-jumps squat-jumps[/caption]

6. Lunge jumps

Legs are the part of your body that need the most toning. In schools, lunges are performed by young students to make their body work well. How to do lunge jumps:
  • Make your position in a lunge.
  • Bent both knees at the angle of 90-degree.
  • Point your feet in the forward direction.
  • From here brace your base and pull down your shoulders
  • Swing back your arms
  • Quickly make a jump and swing your arms up.
  • Switch your legs simultaneously .
  • Land back on ground in a lunge.
  • Repeat the same procedure to do more lunges.
[caption id="attachment_14632" align="aligncenter" width="300"]lunge-jumps-cardio-exercises lunge-jumps[/caption]

7. Box jumps

People who are huge cardio fans must be familiar with this cardio exercise. It is an intensive cardio exercise and it requires huge human body stamina. How to perform:
  • Take a knee-high box and stand in front of it.
  • Place your feet apart width wise with hips. Your arms must be at your sides.
  • Keeping your back flat, bend down your knees and make a hinge forward at your hips.
  • Swing up your arms and jump onto the box in front of you explosively.
  • Gently land on the box and slightly lean forward.
  • Jump back off the box.
  • Repeat the procedure to do more box jumps.
[caption id="attachment_14633" align="aligncenter" width="300"]box-jumps box-jumps[/caption]

8. Plank jacks - cardio exercises

Planks are the exercises that are the most desirable ones to trim your belly fat and making abs. Most exercisers prefer planks to straighten their backs and making abs. In order to perform plank jacks:
  • Start in a plank with your hands under shoulders and your body straight. Bring your feet together.
  • Jump and spread your legs wider than shoulder width.
  • Jump back to a plank and repeat.
[caption id="attachment_14627" align="aligncenter" width="300"]plank-jacks plank-jacks[/caption]

FAQs

  • What are good Cardio Exercises?
    • Here are some good cardio exercises that will help you boost your energy levels. These are:
      • 1. High knees
      • 2. Crab walk
      • 3. Crunches
      • 4. Jumping jacks
      • 5. Squat jumps
      • 6. Lunge jumps
      • 7. Box jumps
      • 8. Plank jacks
  • Which cardio burns the most fats?
    • Each cardio exercise will help to burn down fats. However, box jumps will help you burn fats effectively and efficiently.
  • Does cardio burn belly fat?
    • Yes, cardio will definitely burn your belly fat.

Final words - Cardio exercises

Since, cardio is an extensive exercise and it will help a lot of people to burn excessive calories from their bodies. Cardio is also known cardiovascular exercise, or aerobic exercise. It is essential to maintain good and balanced health. As the name suggests, it will rise up your heart rate up. It will make your blood pump faster. Oxygen will be delivered throughout your body with the help of simple yet efficient cardio exercises. The above mentioned cardio exercises will be extremely helpful if you want to loose weight in no time. For more information about health and fitness, visit HAJEX Fitness and get updated with beneficial exercises.