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No matter what routine you follow for your regular workouts, cardio is an absolute must. If you are a little tired of hearing this, allow us to convince you why cardio exercises are one of the best workouts if you are looking to lose weight and lead an active lifestyle.
Cardio exercises help your body use up more oxygen than it takes in. Once that happens, your body has no choice but to use up the energy it has stored in your fat. This, in turn, makes you lose fat effectively.
Believe it or not, cardio also has the ability to make you feel better. After a full session of cardio, you feel pumped up and full of energy. This is very important because it also helps you sleep well.
Additionally, such exercises help boost your metabolism and speed up your recovery. After the session, you might feel tired, but remember to give it time. You'll feel pumped up soon enough!
Cardio really helps with health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and so on. But before you do it, you should talk to your doctor and figure out the kind of exercises that best suit your goals.
The good news is, everyone can do cardio! So, if you have never done it before, you can start by walking quickly or jumping rope. If you want a more advanced workout, you can try High Intensity Interval Training and Regular Interval Training.
Not only can you choose the type of cardio workout you want to do, but you can also choose how much time you want to spend on it. In an ideal situation, you should work out for 35–45 minutes, six days a week.
Best Cardio Exercises for Weight Loss
Take a look at some cardio workouts that will help you lose weight and burn fat. There will be little time to rest when you do these workouts, and the exercises will have to be done as quickly as possible.
1. Burpees
This cardio workout stands out because it works your whole body and gets your heart rate up quickly.
To do this exercise:
- Stand with your feet as far apart as the distance between your hips.
- Put your hands on the floor in front of you and get down on your knees.
- When you land, you should be on your hands and toes in a push-up position, with your body in a straight line.
- Do a push-up on your toes or knees, although this is optional and adds quite a bit of intensity.
- Right away, jump your feet back to where they started, stand up, and do this 10–15 times or for 30–60 seconds.
2. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are slightly more difficult and a more advanced form of cardio that will get your heart rate up and make your workouts rigorous.
To do this exercise:
- Start in a push-up position, with your hands and toes on the floor, your back flat, and your abs tight.
- Bring your right knee in towards your chest, and place the foot of that knee on the floor.
- When you jump up, switch your feet by bringing your left foot forward and your right foot back while you are in the air.
- For 30 to 60 seconds, keep switching your feet as quickly as you can.
3. Squat Jumps
Squat jumps are a great way to add more difficulty to your workouts and get your heart rate up.
To do this exercise:
- Start by putting your feet about hip-width apart and tightening your core.
- Try to get as low as you can and use your fingertips to touch the floor.
- Make sure to push your hips back so you don't put too much pressure on your knees.
- Try to jump as high as you can and reach as high as you can with your arms.
- Land softly back into your squat, and do this for 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Plyo Lunges
The plyo lunge is a great plyometric move that helps build power and strength in the lower body.
To do this exercise:
- Stand with your left leg behind you and your right leg in front of you.
- Bend your knees and drop your body to lunge.
- Quickly jump up and switch your legs so that when you land, your left leg is in front and your right leg is behind.
- Land softly, drop into a lunge, and do it again, jumping and changing sides.
- Repeat 1–3 times, each time for 10–60 seconds.
5. Speed Skaters
Speed skaters are a great way to get your heart rate up and work your body by moving side to side, which is something we don't do very often.
To do this exercise:
- When your feet are together, jump as far to the right as you can.
- Land on your right foot and cross your left foot behind you to test your balance.
- Again, take a big step to the left and land on the left foot.
- Try not to jump up in the air and keep going from one side to the other.
- Keep your moves low and wide instead. Change sides again every 30 to 60 seconds.
Takeaway
Cardio exercises are essentially meant to increase your heart rate and help you lose weight quickly. When performed before a workout, they warm you up nicely and motivate you to complete the rest of your workout. Want to know one great fact about cardio? They keep your metabolism high long after the workout session has ended!
