Cardio workouts that increase the intensity of your fitness routine will provide your at-home workout some variation and fresh challenges. With no need for equipment, you can get the most out of your cardio exercise with strong, powerful bodyweight motions. You can perform the following exercises at your own speed based on your current level of fitness and your training objectives. To increase the intensity of your existing workout regimen or to incorporate these cardiac activities into circuit training, try
Cardio Exercises You Can Do at Home
- Frog jumps
- Burpees
- Mountain climbers
- Squat jumps
- Jumping jacks to a step
- Toe taps with jumps
- Prisoner squat jumps
- Long jumps
- Plyo jacks
- Plyo lunges
- Jogging in place
- Jogging with high knees
- Jump kick lunge
- Speed skaters
- Modified mountain climbers
- Lunge jumps
- Speed skaters with weights
- Jumping jacks with resistance band lat pulls
- 1.Frog Jumps
- Advanced high-intensity cardio exercises like frog jumps use low-body force and endurance to rapidly raise your heart rate.
- Step your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and crouch down until your hands are on the ground in front of you.
- Leap up and explode, generating force with your hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. As you jump, tap your heels together and raise your hands to your head or the air.
- To protect your joints, land with your knees bent. Then, move into a squat to get ready for the next jump.
- Do ten to twenty more frog hops. If desired, take a break and repeat
- Avoid doing a deep squat if your knees are bothering you. Alternatively, at the peak of the exercise, stand up fast in place of jumping and omit the squat.
- 2.Burpees
- Some of us may have clear memories of burpees from our high school gym class. This full-body cardio workout sticks in your memory since it raises your heart rate immediately. The movement is easy, yet it puts a strain on the muscles, lungs, and heart. Incorporate it into your routine aerobic exercises to increase the intensity and improve your strength, stamina, and power.
- Place your hands on the ground in front of you as you kneel down to the floor, keeping your feet about hip-width apart.
- With your feet extended behind you, leap forcefully to land in a push-up stance, keeping your body in a straight line and your hands and toes together.
- Perform a push-up while on your knees or toes; this is optional but increases the intensity significantly.Be careful not to let your hips drop.
- Start by jumping your feet back, stand back up, and repeat for 30 to 60 seconds or 10 to 15 repetitions.
- 3.Mountain Climbers
- An advanced, high-intensity cardio exercise that increases heart rate and intensifies exercises is mountain climbing. This is an excellent general exercise because it will improve your agility and leg endurance. If you’ve never done mountain climbers before, go slowly and gradually increase the difficulty of the reps. Avoid doing this workout if you are in pain or uncomfortable. You’ll require endurance in your upper body and strong core.
- Start on your hands and toes, with your back flat and your abs tight.
- Keeping your other foot on the ground, bring your right knee up to your chest.
- Jump up and place your left foot in the air and your right foot backwards.
- For five to ten minutes, keep switching up the feet.
- Place your hands on a step, platform, or BOSU Balance Trainer (dome side down) to alter this aerobic workout
- . An additional option is to move your knees in and out rather than putting your toes on the ground and lifting your feet off the ground. Use exercise sliders for your feet for an extra challenge.
- Put your feet hip-width apart and contract your core to start.
- Get as low as you can and put your fingertips on the ground.
- To prevent overstretching your knees, keep your hips back. Swing your arms above your head and leap as high as you can.
- Return to your squat with soft knees, and repeat for 30 to 60 seconds.
Jumping jacks are great, but adding a platform or step is a great way to add intensity and spice things up. This is a high-impact cardio exercise, so protect your joints by landing with soft knees. If you feel discomfort or pain, avoid this exercise.
- Stand facing a step or platform and jump onto it with both feet.
- Jump back to the floor, or step down if jumping feels unsafe or uncomfortable.
- Perform a jumping jack on the floor and jump back onto the step once you pull your feet together.
- Continue alternating a jump on the step and a jumping jack for 30 to 60 seconds.
- 6.Toe Taps With Jumps
- Toe taps is a fantastic way to increase force and enhance dexterity. Take your time and ease into this cardio activity with slow taps instead of jumping if you haven’t tried it before. Avoid doing this workout if you are in pain or uncomfortable. You can tap on any sturdy item, such as a BOSU or the bottom step on a staircase, or you can perform this exercise without a step.
- Keep your back against a step or platform.
- Jump up, touch your right toe to the step, then change your feet midair and touch your left toe to the step
- . For thirty to sixty seconds, keep switching up the speed and safety of your toe taps.
- 7.Prisoner Squat Jumps
Prisoner squat leaps are similar to squat jumps, however they emphasize the core more. To work your back, core, and abs, put your hands behind your head and tilt your torso forward.
Since this is an advanced, high-impact aerobic workout, land softly on your knees to safeguard your joints. Proceed with the action without jumping if the impact is too great. If you haven’t done this aerobic workout before, start slowly and increase the size of your jumps. Avoid doing this workout if you are in pain or uncomfortable.
- Begin with your feet wide and your hands behind your head.
- Squat as low as you can, taking your torso slightly forward without rounding the back.
- Jump up high, keeping your hands behind the head.
- Land with soft knees and repeat for 30 to 60 seconds.
8.Long Jumps
- Stand with your feet together and make sure you have plenty of space in front of you.
- Lower into a squat and jump forward in an explosive movement.
- Land with bent knees to protect the joints.
- Jump forward again, continuing for the length of the room, turning around, and going the other way.
- Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Begin with feet together and lower into a squat, bringing your arms in front of you.
- Jump your feet out, land in a squat, and circle your arms up and over your head.
- Jump up again, bringing your feet together and circling your arms back down.
- Stand in a split stance, right leg in front and left leg in back.
- Bend your knees and lower into a lunge.
- Jump explosively into the air and switch your legs, landing so your left leg is in front and your right leg is in back.
- Land with soft joints, lower into a lunge, and repeat, jumping and switching sides. Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 60 seconds each.
- March in place, lifting your knees and swinging your arms.
- Move into a light jog, keeping your feet close to the ground as you get a feel for the exercise.
- Bring your heels closer to your glutes each time you jog.
- Pump your arms overhead as you jog faster, or raise your knees.
- Repeat for 30 seconds to as many minutes as you can.
- You can also do this exercise in a cardio circuit.
12 Jogging With High Knees
- Lift your knees high each time you jog in place.
- Try lifting the knees to hip level, keeping your core tight to protect your back. Increase the challenge by holding your hands at hip level and try to touch your knees to your hands each time you jog.
- Bring the knees up toward your hands rather than bringing your hands down to the knees.
- Add intensity by pushing your arms overhead.
- Repeat for 30 seconds to as many minutes as you can.
- You can also do this exercise in a cardio circuit.
13 Front Kick Lunge
- Stand with feet about hip-width apart and bring your right knee up.
- Extend your right leg out into a front kick, but avoid locking or hyperextending the knee.
- Bring your leg back and immediately take it behind you into a straight-leg reverse lunge, keeping your balance on the left leg.
- Lunge low, touching the floor with your fingertips.
- Stand up, bring your right leg forward again, and kick.
This aerobic workout targets your outer thighs and is excellent for the heart. This is an excellent addition to workouts that need you to go forward and backward, like long hops.
- Leap to the right, starting with your feet together.
- For a test to your balance, land on your right foot and cross your left foot behind you.
- Leap to the left while taking another large stride, landing on your left foot.
- Instead of bouncing up and down, keep moving from side to side while maintaining a low, broad stride.
- For a duration of 30 to 60 seconds, keep switching sides.
- Face an elevated platform, such as a chair, a weight bench, a step (as demonstrated), or even a railing.
- Similar to a push-up, place your hands on the platform wider than your shoulders and extend your feet so that your back is straight.
- Maintaining your body posture, bring your right knee toward the platform.
- Reposition your right leg and then take a step back, bringing your left knee closer to the platform.
- Keep switching knees, accelerating if you can.
- Complete 1 to 3 sets for 30 to 60 seconds each time.
- Plyo lunges and lunge leaps are not the same since you do not change feet midair.
- Right foot forward and left foot back to start in a staggered stance.
- Take a lunge by bending your knees.
- Leap into the air while maintaining your hands on your hips or raising them for greater force.
- Lower yourself back into your lunge after landing gently on the balls of your feet.
- Finish 8–16 repetitions, then swap sides.
Although speed skaters are a terrific way to raise your heart rate, you can also get more intense exercise and target your glutes with small weights.
For this aerobic activity, you don’t need big weights because you’re moving swiftly. That may result in pain and damage. The goal is to burn a few additional calories by increasing the effort while using modest weights.
- Place your feet together and use both hands to grasp small weights.
- Leap to the right wide, keeping your left foot crossed and your left hip pointing toward the ground.
- Maintain a strong core to safeguard your back.
- Leaning toward the floor with the right foot pushed off, jump to the other side.
- Work for 30 to 60 seconds each time, switching between the sides for one to three sets.
18 Jumping Jacks With Resistance Band Lat Pulls
A common component of every at-home cardio workout program is the jumping jack. One excellent method to increase intensity and activate your upper body while burning more calories is by using a resistance band.Thirteen This is a multipurpose workout that you may perform by using your back while you pull down the band.
- With both hands, hold a resistance band straight up above you. As you draw the band down, make sure your hands are near enough to provide tension but not too tight.
- As you open the band and lower your elbows to either side of your body, bounce your feet out in a jumping jack motion.
- As you lower your arms, concentrate on tightening your back.
- Repeat for 60 seconds, umping your feet together as you raise your arms back overhead.
Avoid pulling the resistance band down with force. In order to prevent shoulder injuries, also avoid letting the resistance band pull your arms back overhead.
The best resistance bands are those that we have examined, tested, and tried. Look into which resistance band choice would be perfect for you if you’re in the market for some.
As a seasoned content writer specialized in the fitness and health niche, Arun Bhagat has always wanted to promote wellness. After gaining proper certification as a gym trainer with in-depth knowledge of virtually all the information related to it, he exercised his flair for writing interesting, informative content to advise readers on their healthier lifestyle. His topics range from workout routines, nutrition, and mental health to strategies on how to be more fit in general. His writing is informative but inspiring for people to achieve their wellness goals as well. Arun is committed to equipping those he reaches with the insights and knowledge gained through fitness.