What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “cardio”? Probably running, maybe the elliptical machine, or even rowing, right? But there are many more cardio exercises than steady-state resistance training, that is, long-distance ones.
Cardio: what are the best exercises?
The best cardio exercise is compound exercises, which involve multiple joints and more than one muscle group. “They improve coordination and raise the heart rate faster, plus they allow a person to do a total body workout in less time and mirror real-life movements,” says Sarah Gawron, an AFAA-certified trainer. aerobics and fitness of America) at Epic Hybrid Training and Solace in New York.
Generally, it would help if you tried cardio two to three times a week, Gawron says. “If someone is new to this type of training, they will notice that it changes quite quickly,” she adds. “It generally takes three to four weeks for the body to adjust sufficiently to the training, and the results can be seen.” These are produced by the significant expenditure of calories that is achieved with cardio exercises. Some of them, like the camber or the jumping jacks, burn more than running.
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Cardio at home: how do I level up?
Another way to increase intensity? Performing cardio exercises in HIIT routines: the higher the intensity of your training, the more sweat, the more energy and more oxygen you will use; therefore, the greater the afterburner effect (also known as EPOC). In other words, you will continue to burn calories at a faster rate after your cardio workout as your body returns to its relaxed state.
So ditch your regular jog and do the following cardio circuit. Gawron recommends choosing between six and eight and resting for 30 seconds in between. You will feel that your heart begins to beat vehemently and that the muscle mass increases.
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How much cardio time should I include in my workout?
Again, your goals come into play here, but the expert gives us a quick summary:
10-15 minutes if you use cardio as a warm-up.
No more than 60 minutes of cardio if your entire routine will be based on it.
Remember that quantity is not similar to quantity. You will not see faster results doing two hours of cardio in the gym; what can happen instead is that you exhaust your muscles, and then it is more difficult to recover. You know what they say: good and short, twice good. Why do you think famous trainers like Kayla Itsines insist that 28 minutes is more than enough time for practical work? “It is time you can best endure without losing concentration,” she explained.
Indoor cycle
It is one of the most requested star activities in gyms. This is because they are especially effective when it comes to losing weight and those who seek to establish moderate routines before starting with more intense ones.
In this exercise, practically the same muscles are used in the running, but with a much lower degree of impact on the hips, rollers, and ankles.
Squats
The trick to squatting is to go down as low as possible with your chest and back straight. Also, remember that you should keep your head looking straight ahead and that your arms should be straight to balance the time. On the other hand, the knees should not extend past the balls of the feet when flexed. And lastly, don’t try to flex too much if you’re squatting for the first time.
Rowing
Rowing is an exercise that helps all the back, glutes, arms, and legs to work with a low impact but a high intensity. In addition, the rowing machine has the advantage that it helps us burn calories in a short time – an average of 300 calories in 30 minutes.
By allowing aerobic exercise protects our heart and helps us increase our cardiovascular capacity.
Ground Up routine
The Ground Up routine consists of three rounds of the following exercises:
100-meter rowing
Ten squats applying body weight
200 meters more rowing
Another ten squats
20 reps of reverse lunges
Another ten more squats
Elliptical
It is another of the critical machines in any gym. It is a perfect alternative to running machines since they are much more comfortable and comes with different effort levels, so you can carry out a few minutes of this exercise without compromising your joints.
Climbing machines More and more gyms include climbing machines in their offer. Their use is straightforward since they simulate the movement we make when we climb stairs and adapt the size of the step, so you can increase levels as you gain confidence and physical condition. They have the advantage that they allow you to work the lower body area at different intensities and with low impact on the ankles, knees, or back.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the low-impact exercises that offer the most form of cardio, so we recommend that you do a few laps to benefit from working all the body muscles with this exercise. And even walk or run inside the pool if it is not very deep.
Punches in the air
Cardio boxing has also become very fashionable in gym sessions since they are enjoyable workouts, and that you can synchronize to the rhythm of the music and the indications of a monitor. They are one of the best options to get rid of stress and tone the body through blows in the air without impact.
One of the tricks to make this exercise more effective is to keep your knees slightly bent and focus on a point in the air to try to hit it.
Stationary bikes
Pedaling on a stationary bike provides your body with all the cardiovascular benefits of running but avoiding pressure on your knees. However, you will need to be careful to make sure you do it correctly and avoid injury. The trick is to adjust the seat at hip height so your knees bend slightly each time you pedal. Also, remember that your back should be straight and that you should keep your elbows slightly bent.