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"headline":"10 Cardio Exercises You Can Do Anywhere",
"datePublished":"2019-09-07",
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"description":"Here are 10 awesome cardio exercises you can do at home, in a hotel, or at the park. They'll help you simplify your workouts and still get results!",
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"text": "Good cardio exercises elevate the heart rate and offer functional benefits that translate to everyday life. Examples include the burpee, high jump, and jump squat (and their variations)."
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<article>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="#section1">What Are Good Cardio Exercises?</a></li>
<li><a href="#section2">10 Cardio Exercises You Can Do Anywhere</a></li>
<li><a href="#section3">How To Combine These Cardio Exercises Into A Workout</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<section>
<p>Ready for a heart-pumping workout that you can do anywhere?</p>
<p>With these cardio exercises, there's no need for a treadmill, a rower, or even a jump rope. </p>
<p>All of them just require bodyweight resistance, and can be performed with a small amount of floor space.</p>
<p>The best part is they're all adjustable—you'll find exercise options that work whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced. There's something for everyone!</p>
</section>
<hr class="divider-50 divider-medium mx-auto">
<section id="section1">
<h2>What are good cardio exercises?</h2>
<p>Good cardio exercises elevate the heart rate and offer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/what-is-functional-training-and-can-it-benefit-you/" rel="noreferrer">functional benefits</a> that translate to everyday life<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18952500" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1</a></sup>. Examples include the burpee, high jump, and jump squat (and their variations, which we'll get into).</p>
<p>Cardiovascular exercise offers a <i>ton</i> of health benefits, including<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6172294/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">2, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3396114/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3</a></sup>:</p>
<ul>
<li>A stronger heart</li>
<li>Stronger lungs</li>
<li>Reduced risk of many diseases, like cancer and type 2 diabetes</li>
<li>Reduced risk of fractures from falls or accidents as you age</li>
<li>Better mental health</li>
<li>Better brain function</li>
<li>Higher quality of life</li>
<li>Longer life expectancy</li>
</ul>
<p>While the benefits are clear, sometimes cardio workouts (due to equipment requirements) can be inaccessible. The best cardio exercises are the ones that don't require a ton of equipment and can be modified to meet your fitness needs. </p>
<p>Here's why:</p>
<ul>
<li><i>36 percent</i> of all fitness-related injuries are the result of doing workouts that are too hard for your body<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5005555/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">4</a></sup>. (This is why our program relies so heavily on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/progressive-overload/" rel="noreferrer">progressive overload</a>, a simple fitness technique that focuses on tiny advancements so you improve your fitness safely over time.)</li>
<li>Without any equipment, your routine is simplified. And you also save money on things like gym memberships and equipment!</li>
</ul>
<p>Functional, modifiable, and simple—these are your three keys to good cardio exercises.</p>
<h3>What cardio exercises can I do at home?</h3>
<p>Any of the 10 exercises in the next section can be done right in your living room, your backyard, with friends at the park, or even in a hotel room during a business trip.</p>
<p>These movements use your own bodyweight resistance to elevate the heart rate. They're just as effective as any other cardio movements you might do at the gym or with equipment<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3544497/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">5</a></sup>.</p>
</section>
<hr class="divider-50 divider-medium mx-auto">
<section id="section2">
<h2>10 cardio exercises you can do anywhere</h2>
<p>Below you'll find 10 cardio exercises. They are broken up into three movement patterns (the burpee, the high jump, and the jump squat).</p>
<p>Later, we'll give you three simple cardio workout templates you can plug these movements into. First, pick 3 exercises from this list you might use for your workout.</p>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/HIGH-CHAIR-BURPEE-WALKOUTS.gif" alt="High/low chair burpee walkout">
<h3>1. High/low chair burpee walkout</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Beginner</p>
<ul>
<li>Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the knees slightly bent.</li>
<li>Bring your hands to the back of the chair*; step your feet out behind your body.</li>
<li>Do a modified push-up if you can, then step your feet back to a standing position, finishing where you started.</li>
<li>Repeat.</li>
</ul>
<p><i>*The higher the chair, the easier the exercise will be. A chair at belly button or chest height is a good place to start. Make sure the object you use is stable and won't fall as you put your weight on it.</i></p>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/BURPEE-WALKOUTS.gif" alt="Burpee walkout">
<h3>2. Burpee walkout</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Intermediate</p>
<ul>
<li>Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the knees slightly bent.</li>
<li>Bring your hands to the floor by hinging at your hips (don't squat—pretend you're picking something up off the ground).</li>
<li>One foot at a time, step back into a plank position.</li>
<li>Return each foot to where they started. Push through your hands again, rocking yourself back to a crouch. </li>
<li>Stand to finish, then repeat.</li>
</ul>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/BURPEES.gif" alt="Burpees">
<h3>3. Burpees</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Advanced</p>
<ul>
<li>Lean forward at the hips, bringing your hands to the floor in a crouched position.</li>
<li>Jump both feet back to a plank position; immediately do a push-up*.</li>
<li>At the top of the push-up, jump your feet back to the crouched position.</li>
<li>Bringing your arms overhead, jump up off the ground. Finish standing stall.</li>
<li>Repeat.</li>
</ul>
<p><i>*If these are too hard, try speed burpees: skip the push-up at the bottom, and focus on jumping back to a plank instead. You also don't have to jump at the top if you don't want to or can't because of limitations!</i></p>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/STANDING-MARCHING.gif" alt="Standing march">
<h3>4. Standing march</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Beginner</p>
<p>If you're working to improve your balance, try starting next to a wall or with a stool nearby for support.</p>
<ul>
<li>Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. </li>
<li>March in place, bringing your knee up as high as you can—a good goal to aim for is waist height. </li>
<li>Pump your arms as you step.</li>
<li>Alternate steps. </li>
</ul>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/MARCHING-WITH-FULL-EXTENSION.gif" alt="Marching with full extension">
<h3>5. Marching with full extension</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Beginner</p>
<p>These are still a beginner movement, but the range of motion is slightly larger. A great way to get that heart rate up!</p>
<ul>
<li>Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. </li>
<li>March in place, bringing your knee up as high as you can—a good goal to aim for is waist or even belly button height.</li>
<li>Pump your arms as you step. </li>
<li>Alternate steps. </li>
</ul>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/BUNNY-HOPS.gif" alt="Bunny hops">
<h3>6. Bunny hops</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Intermediate</p>
<p>Like burpees, you'll leave the ground briefly on each rep. Plyometric exercises (those that involve jumping) are <i>a fantastic way</i> to get a cardio workout<sup><a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4007289/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">6</a></sup>!</p>
<ul>
<li>Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart; arms in front of your body for balance.</li>
<li>Bend the knees and lean forward slightly, then jump 3 to 6 inches off the ground.</li>
<li>Land with poise—bend the knees to land softly, then go right into the next rep off the "rebound".</li>
</ul>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/HIGH-JUMPS.gif" alt="High jumps">
<h3>7. High jumps</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Advanced</p>
<p>A little more "hang time" makes these much more of a challenge for the legs and cardiovascular system. </p>
<ul>
<li>Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart; arms in front of your body for balance.</li>
<li>Bend the knees and lean forward slightly, while simultaneously bringing the arms down and behind you. </li>
<li>Swinging your arms forward and up, jump off the ground as high as you can. Aim for triple extension—the knees, hips, and ankles should all fully extend.</li>
<li>Land softly. Bend the knees, and if you're really feeling it, go right into the next rep off the "rebound".</li>
</ul>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/SUPPORTED-SIT-TO-STANDS.gif" alt="Supported sit to stands">
<h3>8. Supported sit to stands</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Beginner</p>
<ul>
<li>Stand in front of your couch or a chair. Position your feet so they're shoulder-width apart.</li>
<li>Put your bodyweight in your heels; kick your butt back toward the chair, and allow your hips to bend. Your knees will follow.</li>
<li>Touch the couch or chair with your buttocks*. </li>
<li>Pressing through your heels, sit back up to a stand. Come up all the way onto your toes to get the ankles active!</li>
<li>Repeat.</li>
</ul>
<p>You can do the supported or regular variation of this exercise. To give yourself some support, place your hands on your thighs when you push yourself up.</p>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/SIT-TO-HOPS.gif" alt="Sit to hops">
<h3>9. Sit to hops</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Intermediate</p>
<p>Another plyometric exercise here—so if you have knee pain or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/low-impact-cardio/" rel="noreferrer">joint limitations</a>, stick with #8! </p>
<ul>
<li>Stand in front of your couch or a chair. Position your feet so they're shoulder-width apart.</li>
<li>Put your bodyweight in your heels; kick your butt back toward the chair, and allow your hips to bend. Your knees will follow.</li>
<li>Touch the couch or chair with your buttocks*. </li>
<li>Pressing through your heels, drive up explosively. At the top of the rep, hop off the ground 2 to 3 inches.</li>
<li>Repeat.</li>
</ul>
<img style="max-width:100%;" class="img-fluid" src="https://wm-blog-content.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/MOVEMENTS/JUMP-SQUATS.gif" alt="Jump squat">
<h3>10. Jump squat</h3>
<p><strong>Level</strong>: Advanced</p>
<ul>
<li>Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes at a 45-degree angle.</li>
<li>Kick your hips back toward the wall behind you (your knees will bend too); lower your butt until your thigh is parallel with the floor (or as low as you can go)</li>
<li>Driving through the forefoot (not the heels), explode up with both feet. Use your arms for momentum and balance.</li>
</ul>
</section>
<hr class="divider-50 divider-medium mx-auto">
<section id="section3">
<h2>How to combine these cardio exercises in a workout</h2>
<p>Did you pick 3 movements from the list? Awesome. Be sure the exercises you chose are of the same level of difficulty (i.e. all beginner or all intermediate). </p>
<p>To make your own anywhere cardio workout, plug those 3 exercises into one of the 3 formats below:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>3x15 (beginner)</strong>- If you haven't used one of these movements before, or you're just getting back into working out, simply do 3x15 of each exercise. Take a 30 second break in between each set. Your goal is simple: do 135 total reps with the best form possible!</li>
<li><strong>Circuit workout (intermediate)</strong>- Set a timer for 16 minutes. Do 45 seconds of as many reps as you can, then rest for 15 seconds. At the top of the next minute, switch exercises. After you've done one round (all 3 movements), take a 1 minute break to catch your breath. Repeat three more times!</li>
<li><strong>HIIT workout (advanced)</strong>- Using a timer, do 20 seconds of each exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Stick with the same exercise for 4 cycles (2 minutes of clock time, including rests). Cycle through each exercise, then repeat the whole thing again. This is a killer 12-minute full-body workout that'll improve your cardio and burn tons of calories!</li>
</ul>
<p>And if you keep creating your own cardio workouts in the future, remember our 3 keys from earlier: functional, modifiable, and simple. We promise, your heart, lungs, and muscles will all get a fantastic workout! </p>
<p>For more at-home workouts like this, head over to our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/" rel="noreferrer">exercise section</a> to see how we put together "anywhere" fitness routines that target other fitness goals, like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/functional-strength-training/" rel="noreferrer">improving strength</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/foolproof-guide-to-building-lean-muscle" rel="noreferrer">adding muscle</a>, or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.warriormade.com/content/exercise/full-body-workout-for-weight-loss/" rel="noreferrer">burning fat</a>.</p>
<p>This way, all you have to do is focus on giving it your all during your workouts!</p>
</section>
</article>
