They can also reduce intensity by performing slower or smaller jumping jacks. Taking the stairs two at a time and increasing speed to a running pace can further challenge the cardiovascular system and leg muscles. This shuffling motion closely resembles a football or speed-skating warm-up.

A person can increase the intensity — referring to the rate and repetitions — of any cardio exercise to convert them into advanced movements. However, some exercises are also more complicated and involve transitions from floor to standing. Increase the difficulty of jumping an air rope in the beginner exercises to jumping with a real rope at home.

Squat jumps are a way to increase the exercise intensity while working the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Mountain climbers are an advanced exercise to work the whole body, especially the lower portion.

Burpees are an advanced full-body move to get the heart pumping. If a person wishes to increase the difficulty further, they can use a special exercise device called a Bosu ball.

The bear crawl is a full-body exercise. YouTube and other streaming services mean that a person can learn from trainers in the comfort of their home.

Ideally, they should choose one from a reputable organization, such as ACE Fitness or the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Before beginning a workout, a person should spend minutes doing a dynamic warm up.

Slow, gentle stretching is important to warm up muscles and prepare for more vigorous exercise. With cardiovascular workouts, a person must focus not only on the exercises themselves but also on their effort and intensity when performing them. Very few people should aim for a 10 when exercising at home.

During home exercise, a person can ideally aim for an RPE of between 3—7 , indicating moderate to vigorous exercise. Below are some characteristics of each RPE, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.

Engaging in a consistent home exercise routine 3—5 days per week can enhance physical abilities and overall physical health. Just because a person is at home does not mean they are not susceptible to injury.

Some of the ways to help ensure safety include:. It is important to check with a doctor before beginning an exercise program to help reduce potential health issues or the worsening of any current symptoms. There are plenty of activities involving a range of difficulties that can become part of a home workout.

There are numerous cardio exercises that people can perform both at home and the gym. Read on to learn more about some of the top cardio exercises. Learn about which cardio exercises can help a person lose weight and for how long they should perform them.

We also provide other tips for weight loss. Cardiorespiratory endurance provides an indication of a person's physical fitness and measures how well the heart, lungs, and muscles perform during…. Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many health conditions.

National guidelines recommend at least minutes of aerobic activity per week. Muscle dysmorphia can cause a preoccupation with building muscle and the belief that a person's muscles are smaller than they are. Learn more in this…. My podcast changed me Can 'biological race' explain disparities in health?

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. Best at-home cardio Beginner exercises Intermediate exercises Advanced exercises Getting the most out of home workouts Safety Summary People do not need a lot of equipment for cardiovascular exercise.

Best cardio exercises to do at home. Share on Pinterest. Intermediate exercises. Advanced exercises. How to get the most out of home workouts. Safety considerations and injury prevention.

How we reviewed this article: Sources. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. Word to the wise: If you're already at a healthy weight for your height, a calorie deficit is not something you should be chasing.

Similarly, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking prescription medication, have an adrenal-related medical condition or a teenager or child you should absolutely not try to maintain a calorie deficit.

Learning how to lose body fat , however, is a slightly different kettle of fish. When people talk about weight loss they're often referring to the number on the scale going down — fat loss is more specific, explicitly referring to lowering your body fat percentage and not losing mass from muscle tissue or water retention.

If you're trying to lose fat, adding in regular resistance training to your workout routine, alongside your cardio, will be important — more on this later.

Cardio alone works in favour of fat loss as it increases your heart rate and, once your HR is high enough and you've used all the usual blood sugars and carbs up , your body is forced to convert fat into energy. If you're trying to shift stubborn fat including trying to get rid of back fat or, case in point, to lose belly fat , a routine that combines cardio for calorie burn and resistance training to preserve lean muscle tissue will serve you better than a cardio-only programme.

You might also need to get more granular with your nutrition as losing body fat can be manipulated by tinkering with where you're getting your energy from.

Focusing on getting enough protein or learning how to calculate the best macros for fat loss for you is a good place to start. Let's get one thing clear first: not all cardio is created equal.

Each type burns different amounts of calories and can be more or less time-efficient. Plus, how much energy one woman requires to do a workout will be very different to another because our body makeup amount of muscle etc is all different.

For example, the number of calories you burn skipping rope for 30 minutes is very different to how many you'd burn walking outside for the same amount of time.

And a mum pushing a pram is going to use more cals than say, two pals taking a leisurely amble with a flat white through the park. You'll want to consider the following lifestyle factors, too:.

Make the cardio kind you go for the one you enjoy—the workout you look forward to is the one you keep up, after all. One day of burpees is nowhere near as effective as a consistent schedule of circuit training , for example,' says Whapples.

After consistency, timing is a key factor too — what does your schedule actually allow for? The best cardio for weight loss you can do is the one you can commit to regularly.

If you can only make time to swim once a month, it mightn't be the best choice. Whereas a lunchtime walk can usually easily be incorporated into most schedules. Keep it simple and find what works best for you around your day-to-day demands. Can you do only cardio to lose weight?

As we've mentioned, cardio exercises to lose weight and burn fat should be complemented by strength training and proper recovery the three S': sleep , stress management and stretching if you want to lose weight well.

The following types of cardio are great to underpin your workout schedule but make sure to mix it up too. To note, the following workouts have been ranked in order of general effectiveness for weight loss by the experts, but know that what works for others, may not work for you.

The one you enjoy and will remain consistent with is the one that will you'll reap the rewards from. The cream of the cardio crop, HIIT high-intensity interval training comes up time and time again for helping people to lose weight in less time.

Characterised by short periods of intense work followed immediately by rest periods, HIIT works your cardiovascular system hard and fast. If you're looking to burn fat whether that's belly fat , back fat , or otherwise , it's one of your best choices as it's over double-quick and makes you work super hard at the same time.

Like to follow a plan? This WH four-week HIIT plan is perfect to do at home and you don't need any kit to do it. Running can be a great way to get your cardio fix. It raises your heart rate and can keep it there for prolonged periods of time if you go for longer distances, which explains why it's a good cardio for weight and fat loss pick.

So, lace up those running shoes , adjust your fitness tracker and get ready to run after a decent running warm-up , of course. If you've never laced up and gone for a run don't pile on the pressure that you run should be a certain time or distance.

If it's 2 mins to start with - go you. One our of reader's had great success with Couch to 5K - why not read her story? Swimming for weight loss is a low-impact and joint-friendly way to improve your cardiovascular ability.

Not only does it require every muscle in your body to work to keep you afloat — one of the only forms of exercise that does — but it also forces your lungs to work differently, too. A doubleheader, swimming can improve your stamina and help to build lean muscle tissue at the same time.

Get in the water! Getting more steps in is an easy and cost-effective form of cardio. In fact, walking for weight loss is one of the most common ways people work on improving their body composition i.

fat loss without stressing sore knees and ankles out in the process. Try this four-week walking plan to get you going. Got your helmet, bike lights and lock and want to hit the road? Well, we say get out there. Cycling is one of the most adaptable kinds of cardio for weight loss since it can be made high or low intensity depending on where you take your bike.

Head to the hills for hard interval training up and down the peaks or choose somewhere flat for a little steady-state cardio. Being outside is just the icing on the cake.

Make like Jessica Alba's Honey Daniels throwback and step and slide your way through cardio for weight loss. You'll learn some new skills and get lost in the routine which can really help make the workout go by that bit quicker. Circuit training is one of the most effective ways to improve your cardio and build muscle at the same time, while building muscle contributes to fat loss, so this one's a triple win.

Circuit workouts can be done with or without home gym equipment and in the gym or at home. Skipping workouts are up there with the best and most inclusive forms of cardio for weight and fat loss as they can be made harder or easier depending on the way you choose to skip.