5 Exercises That Are Great For Cardio
Cardio is one of the core elements in any workout routine you are following. It doesn’t matter if you’ll be lifting weights, do bodyweight exercises or are trying to lose weight you can’t skip on cardio. It supplies your body with more oxygen which makes your heart pump harder, pumping more blood through your body and even improving your mood by releasing endorphins.
We’ll be going through some exercises that are great for cardio.
Running / Jogging
All you need to perform this is a pair of suitable shoes and a park, track or even a roadside where you could go. It can be done indoors too using a treadmill. You could start with a normal paced walk to brisk walking leading to jogging and eventually running is one of the most followed cardio exercises. You may add variety by using a sandbag on your shoulder. One can choose between them following the intensity that they want. They all have lots of common benefits such as:
- Strengthen muscles
- Stronger bones
- Burn lots of calories
- Help maintain weight
Cycling
You’ll need to buy yourself a cycle if you don’t already own one or use a cycling machine at the gym. It is another good way to burn calories as well as enjoying some fresh air and getting a scenic view(if you are lucky enough). A great amount of distance can be covered through cycling compared with running. You’ll have total control over which pace you want to do it but it’s recommended to have you being a little breathless. Some common benefits of cycling are:
- Improved joint mobility
- Better posture and coordination
- Toned legs
Jumping Rope
If you want to do high-intensity cardio without leaving the comfort of your home, a small investment in a jumping rope is worth it. There are lots of variations of this exercise that you can perform such as:
- Single leg jumps
- Split leg jumps
- Running in place
- Jumping ladder
Jumping helps you to practice balance and is very effective as it’s a pr-workout for running and it can be done to warm up before weight lifting exercises also.
Swimming
Swimming is one of the best things a person can do, not only for cardio but I’d say it’s a full-body workout. But you would need a membership or access to a pool. Swimming comes with many advantages such as:
- Increases flexibility
- Improves mobility
- Tones muscles
- Gets you tired enough to make you sleep like a baby
But swimming isn’t as easy as the other exercises as it needs to be learnt and requires practice before you’ll be able to sleep.
Jumping Jacks \ Mountain Climbers
These are the simplest yet effective exercises to do at the ease of your home or even your office. If done properly with high intensity and shorter breaks they’ll do miracles for your body and you can spice it by changing your intervals.
You can buy fitness sandbags on our site to give you the best cardio and strength training.