How to get an effective cardio workout at home

With social distancing and self-isolation ramping up amid the outbreak of coronavirus, it no longer feels responsible to go to the gym.

At the same time, it’s more important than ever that we all keep exercising and staying as active as possible – for both our mental and physical health.

There are plenty of home workouts you can do from your living room, but how do you get that cardio hit? If you barely have the space to hit a full plank, is it possible to get your heart rate up for a sustained amount of time?

For good overall health, it’s really important to continue to work on your anaerobic fitness – the stuff that gets your heart pumping – as well as your overall strength. But how do you that when space is limited?

Military Fitness London trainer, Grant King, says it is definitely possible to get an effective cardio workout in your living room.

‘Your heart rate will increase when you expend more energy than you would do normally,’ Grant tells Metro.co.uk. ‘Even by walking up the stairs to the bathroom, you can try going at a quicker, albeit safe pace, or set yourself a goal of doing it three times each time you need to want to go upstairs.

‘A simple one I like is rather than walking to the kitchen, turn it into lunges. You’ll find these are much more difficult. When they get too easy, try carrying something in each arm to act as weights, you’ll quickly see the difference.’

Grant adds that everyone can make a gym at home through their normal furniture. ‘From a chair for dips, to using water bottles as weights, there is no reason why you can’t burn some calories through a simple set to get you out of breath and feeling good without leaving your home.’

Grant has pulled together a simple circuit that you can try at home to elevate your heart rate – and it doesn’t require any equipment.

At home cardio workout

The following exercises should be done in circuit form. Perform one after the
other, with 10 seconds rest between each.

Complete each move for one minute.

Once completed all the exercises, rest for one minute before starting the next round.

Make sure to warm up before beginning the workout.

Count your reps on each exercise and record on paper. On the next rounds, try and beat your score.

Squats

Sit-ups

Push-ups

Hight knees

Lunges

Mountain climbers

Tricep dips

Burpees

Levels

• Beginners – 3 Rounds
• Intermediate – 4 Rounds
• Advanced – 5 Rounds

Source: Read Full Article