9 Cardio Workout Moves that you can do at home

Sure, you may go to the gym and exercise on the elliptical for 45 minutes. Alternatively, you may put on your sneakers and go for a long run to raise your heart rate while also burning calories. However, if you don’t have time to go outside or the weather is unpleasant, you may still get a decent cardio workout at home. You’ll enjoy this experience a lot more if you can move around freely and strain yourself enough so that your heart starts pulsating and the sweat begins to flow.

How can you achieve that? Plyometric exercises, of course. These workouts are great for a home cardio workout session since they save space (all the motions can be made in one place) and time (because it requires maximum effort—and, as a result, less overall time spent) while also providing strength, power, and cardio benefits. “It may be better than just rotting away on the elliptical with these added benefits of strength and power.”

It would be best if you first raised your core temperature to get all the health benefits from working out. Start to sweat as a result of raising your core temperature. Cardio workout produce heat in the body—the more demanding the exercise, the greater the amount of heat generated, and sweat is the body’s cooling method. If you complete a cardio workout at home without breaking a sweat, you’ll want to boost your intensity the next time. This means you’ll have to work faster or take fewer rests.

This program is for you if you’re looking for a cardio workout to start your at-home training. Here, you’ll find ten plyometric exercises and instructions on how to combine them with your heart-pumping power. They all come in low-impact versions for those returning to exercise after a long absence or people who are just getting into a regular exercise routine for the first time. They’re also excellent choices for those suffering from injuries. All you have to remember is that you must work hard in order to end up sweaty, so don’t be too easy on yourself.

Table of Contents

The Workout

If you’re doing the high-impact plyometric exercises, perform each for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds between each exercise. Do you want to avoid the jumps and keep on two feet? Perform it for 30 seconds with only 15-second rests between exercises for each technique. Do 2-3 sets of 60-90 seconds of rest between each set. The good news: the more you practice, the less rest you’ll require.

Mountain Climbers

1. Start forming a straight line from shoulders to heels in a plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists.

2. Keep your core solid and back flat. One knee should be drawn in toward the chest, then returned to its starting position.

3. Immediately pull the other knee toward your chest. After that, replace it. Continue alternating legs.

Modification: Reduce the hop and slow down your speed while still pushing one knee at a time toward your chest.

Vinyasa

1. Begin in a plank posture, with your shoulders over your wrists and straight from your shoulders to your heels.

2. Lower down as if completing a push-up, keeping elbows tight to your sides.

3. Then, come into a cobra or up-dog posture (slight arch in the back; chest toward the sky) by moving your chest through your arms.

4. Begin in a push-up position and lift your hips to a downward-facing dog pose. Repeat, coming back to a plank posture.

Modification: Put your knees on the ground while lowering into a push-up posture for more support.

Burpee

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

2. Put your hands flat on the ground before you and hop your feet behind you into a plank. Make sure your hips are up, and your core is tight, with a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.

3. Then, quickly hop your feet back up to your hands.

4. Jump up to a standing position, bringing your arms above your head and exploding off your feet. Repeat.

Modification: Hands flat on the floor, step left foot back and then right foot back, and hold a plank position. Then, walk your left foot and your right foot in, then stand back up with your arms overhead.

Lunge Jumps

1. Start to stand straight and keep your feet together.

2. Step back with the left leg and lower into a lunge, both knees bent at 90 degrees, keeping the back right knee just above the floor.

3. Push up with the front left leg heel and explode, swapping legs in the air.

4. Take the right foot and return to the lunge position softly. Continue alternating legs.

Modification: Instead of jumping from the lunge, drive through the heel of the front leg, raise your back knee toward your chest, and then strike it out in front of you. Step with the opposite foot and retrieve your rear foot. Continue alternating lunges with a front kick while stepping back with the other foot.

Squat Jumps

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

2. As you lower into a squat, push your hips back and down while keeping weight in the heels.

3. To jump into the air, explode off your feet and extend your hips.

4. Return to a squat posture with bent knees. Repeat several times.

Modification: Eliminate the jump and push yourself to perform a regular bodyweight squat at a quicker pace.

Skater Jumps

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

2. To hop to your right, first push off your left foot and bend at the knee, hips back, chest up, and bring your left foot behind your request.

3. Finally, push off your right foot to the left, aiming for the hoop. Continue switching back and forth.

Modification: Steps to a curtsy lunge: One foot is placed diagonally behind you while executing alternate curtsy lunges by bending your knees 90 degrees. Come again to a standing position and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides.

Tuck Jumps

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.

2. Lower a shallow squat, then leap into the air, driving your legs upward against your chest.

3. With bent knees, gently lower yourself to the ground. Repeat.

Modification: Begin in a kneeling position. Bring your left foot forward and then right, lowering into a low squat position. After that, stand up. Facing a wall, drop into a squat. Bring the left knee back down to a kneeling posture, then the right leg. Repeat, starting with the right leg. Alternate legs as you go.

Lateral Hurdle Hops

1. Stand up with your feet together.

2. Place a yoga block or band besides you (or pretend there is a wall in front of you). Bend your knees and push up and over, jumping over the “hurdle” as you drive up your legs.

3. Bend your knees as you walk lightly. Repeat, stepping to the other side. Continue alternating sides.

Modification: Step over the “hurdle” rather than leaping over it, beginning with the knee closest to the obstacle and continuing to press the knees toward the chest. As you go, keep your arms straight overhead.