19 cardio exercises you can do at home

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Cardio is often favored by many people for its cardiovascular health-promoting effects. It helps the practitioner's heart rate increase naturally, increasing the ability to pump blood to the organs, thereby helping the heart and lungs stay healthy. Regular cardio will help you lose weight, sleep better, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases. However, not everyone can go out for a run or go to the fitness center. Here are suggestions for cardio exercises at home for women and cardio exercises at home for men that you can apply.

1. Cardio exercises at home for beginners

If you're new to cardio, the following exercises will help you get used to the form:
Exercise 1: High knees
This is an elevated leg run in place, so you can do it at anywhere with minimal space.
Stand with your legs straight, hands at your sides. Lift one knee up and then lower it, repeating with the other knee. Alternate the movement of the legs with the hands, creating a running posture in place. Exercise 2: Butt kicks
This is the opposite of High Knees kicking the butt back. Instead of lifting your knees high, you'll bend your knees and kick your heels toward your buttocks.
Stand with your legs straight, hands at your sides. Kick one heel toward your butt. Quickly lower your leg and repeat with the other heel. Alternate leg and hand movements, Exercise 3: Lateral shuffles
This move works the hip and leg muscles, while increasing the heart rate, improving the coordination ability between the sides.
Feet hip-width apart, knees and hips flexed. Lean forward slightly and brace yourself. Lift the right leg and move it to the right while keeping the body position. Repeat the same steps with the left side. For an even movement with both sides, move left and right the same distance. Exercise 4: Crab walk
Crab walk is an interesting exercise to help blood circulation. It also strengthens the upper arms while working the back, abs, and legs.
Sit on the floor, bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Lower your hands below your shoulders, fingers pointing toward your buttocks. Lift your hips off the floor. Move your body backwards using your arms and legs, keeping your weight evenly distributed between your arms and legs. Continue walking backwards for the desired distance.

Exercise 5: Standing oblique crunch
This home cardio exercise is quite simple and very suitable for beginners. When you lift your knees to the sides and lean over, you will work the main muscles on both sides of your body.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Place your hands behind your head, elbows facing out. Bend to the right, moving right elbow down and right knee up until almost touching. Bring your body back to the starting position. Repeat the movement with the left side. Exercise 6: Speed ​​skaters
The side leg movement of this exercise mimics the movement of a skater.
Start in a bent over position, with both knees bent and your right leg crossed behind you. Bend right arm and straighten left arm. Push left foot out, move right foot forward. Bring your left leg behind you and switch arms. Continue to rotate left and right movements smoothly. Exercise 7: Jumping jacks
For an effective full body Cardio workout, add in some Jumping Jacks. This classic move works the entire body while increasing your heart rate naturally.
Stand with your legs straight, hands at your sides. Bend the knee slightly. Jump and spread your legs (wider than shoulder width), raising your arms overhead. Return to center and repeat. Exercise 8: Toe taps
This is a pretty easy exercise that can be done right on the curb or the bottom step of the stairs.
Stand in front of the curb or step. Place one foot on the step, toes pointing down. Quickly switch legs and bring the other leg up. Continue alternating pins. Once you get used to the movement, move your body left or right while performing the movement.

2. Medium Intensity Cardio Workout at Home

Once you get used to doing Cardio and want to aim to increase fitness and endurance, you can switch to these medium intensity exercises.
Exercise 9: Squat jumps
The traditional squat is a movement that targets the lower body directly. By adding a jump, you can turn it into an effective cardio workout.
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and lower into a squat. Swing your arms back in combination with jumping. Land gently in the squat position, hands clasped together in front of the chest.

Exercise 10: Standing alternating toe touches This exercise works your arms, abs, and legs, making it a simple and effective at-home cardio exercise.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hands slightly behind your head, squeezing your abs. Straighten your right leg, bringing your left hand up to touch your right toe. Repeat the same movement with the other arm and leg. Exercise 11: Lunge jumps This move combines the usual lunge movement with jumping, which will help the heart pump blood more efficiently.
Start in a squat. Both knees bent 90 degrees. Point your feet forward. Squeeze your body, lower your shoulders, and bring your arms back. Quickly swing your arms overhead and jump. Simultaneously switch legs to the knees as you lower. Repeat the action. Exercise 12: Box jumps
Box Jumps is a cardio exercise that targets your lower body, including your butt, thighs, calves, and shins.
Stand in front of a box or a knee-high platform. Place your feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides, squeezing your abs. Bend your knees and push forward with your hips, keeping your back flat. Swing your arms up and jump on the platform. Take the podium gently, leaning slightly forward. From the jumping platform back out. Repeat the action. Exercise 13: Plank jacks
This exercise requires the arms to support the body weight on the floor while still having to move the legs.
Start in a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders. The body is kept straight. Two straight legs placed close together. Jump and forcefully bounce with your feet wider than shoulder width. Jump your feet back to the original plank. Repeat the action.

3. High Intensity Cardio Exercise at Home

Once you've gotten used to moderate-intensity home cardio, you may want to challenge yourself with high-intensity exercises that combine multiple movements and work more muscle groups.
Exercise 14: Mountain climbers
This is a high intensity full body workout. If you are new to doing this move, start slow and gradually increase the speed.
Start Plank with your hands under your shoulders, body straight and abs tight. Raise your right knee toward your chest, aiming your knee to touch your elbow. Quickly lower the knee to its original position and replace it with the left knee. Practice alternating between legs. Exercise 15: Plank ski hop
lank ski jump is a move that challenges your shoulder, leg and physical endurance.
Start Plank with your hands under your shoulders, body straight and abs tight. The legs are brought close together. Bend your legs and jump, bringing your body to the outside of your right elbow. Return to plank position. Repeat with the left side. Exercise 16: Diagonal jumps
This is a harder variation of Lunge Jump, instead of facing forward, you rotate your body during each jump to increase the difficulty.
Start in Lunge, with both knees bent at 90 degrees. Rotate the torso towards the right corner of the room. Squeeze your body, lower your shoulders, swing your arms back to gain momentum, then swing your arms back, combine jumping and switching legs. Land in a lunge movement, with your torso toward the left corner. Continue jumping and switch legs.

Exercise 17: Rotational jacks
This exercise combines jumping, squatting and twisting. When done together, these movements activate your muscles and heart rate.
Start with legs and arms closed. Jump into a squat, landing with knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart, and toes pointed slightly out. Simultaneously rotate the waist, straighten the right arm up, the left hand towards the floor. Return to starting position before jumping back into a squat, reaching left arm up and right arm down. Continue jumping and switch arms.
Exercise 18: Burpees
This move includes squats, jumps and push-ups, which will work your entire body.
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Jump back to the squat position and place your hands on the floor. Jump your legs back to the plank position. Do 1 push-up. Jump back to the squat position. Jump and reach your arms upwards. Repeat the action. Exercise 19: Inchworm crawl
This movement requires hand and shoulder movements to push your body from the forward plank position, which will make your muscles and heart work better.
Stand with your feet close together, squeezing your body. Bend your hips forward and reach your arms toward the floor. Keep your knees straight but relaxed. Place your fingers on the floor, bending your knees gently. Place your feet in place and slowly step your arms forward into a plank position, placing your hands directly under your shoulders. Stretch your muscles and do a push-up. Step your feet towards your hands. Bring your arms forward and repeat. To increase the difficulty, do multiple push-ups or you can skip the push-ups altogether to make it easier. Cardio exercises at home are very effective in improving heart, lung, and muscle function. Not only that, it is also very flexible and can be done anywhere, you can completely set a goal of 150 minutes per week, split into about 30 minutes / day and do it five days a week. When working out, just remember to warm up and start slowly, especially when trying new movements.

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Reference source: healthline.com