SIMPLE CARDIOHOME WORKOUT PLAN

CARDIO WORKOUT AT HOME (NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED) - LIFEHACK.ORG 

Feeling unenergized and a little down? You need some exercise. 

Mental health and physical health are interconnected. Good mental health creates good physical health. As little as 30 minutes of exercise can release chemicals in your brain that can instantly melt away your bad thoughts and relieve your stress. Physical exercises also increase your mobility and flexibility, and loosen your tightening muscles. 

What if you can’t hit the gym and lack equipment to workout at home? 

Moving doesn't always require going outdoors or hitting the gym. You can workout at home with no gym equipment at all. 

There are many simple exercises you can do at home in order to improve your strength, agility, and cardio vascular endurance.  

Let’s dive into the 9 simple cardio exercises you can do at home to stay fit and stay sane. 

 

 

 

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9 Simple Cardio Workouts to Do At Home 

1. Sitting Holds 

 

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Sit down in a position with your feet off the ground, straight out in front of you. Hands should be extended out in front as well. You are simply going to hold this position for a given amount of time. 

Try not to strain and tighten up your body too much while doing this. This is especially important with the back and neck. If you find yourself straining too much, then stop. You can always build on the amount of time you hold this posture. 

It is important that you also stay as still as possible throughout the duration of the hold. It is going to get difficult but challenge yourself to remain in the steady position throughout. 

 

 

 

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2. Burpees 

 

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To do a burpee, start standing straight up with your feet little more than shoulder width apart.  

Bring your hands to the ground in between the distance of your legs but slightly in front of your body. When you come down to the ground bend at the hips not at the back. You should bend your knees with your back straight as you bring your hands to the ground. 

As soon as your hands are on the ground, you will jump back with your legs, so that you are in a plank position (hands are shoulder width apart aligned with your chest and your back is straight, not hunching towards the ground; legs are straight back and shouldn’t be touching the ground). For an extra challenge, add a pushup at this point of the burpee. 

After you get into the plank position, you immediately bring your legs back up to your hands (like they were before you kicked them back into the push up position). With your knees bent, come up and jump straight up in the air. That is 1 repetition. 

 

 

 

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3. Mountain Climbers 

Start in a plank position. It is important that you keep your core tight and strong the entire time you do this exercise. The tendency during this exercise is for your body to droop towards the ground or be arched towards the sky as you get tired. You want to make an effort to keep your back straight and don’t allow it to come out of the perfect push up position. This can lead to back problems. 

From the push up position, you alternate your feet up and back towards your stomach. You are trying to knee yourself in the stomach (not literally but for the exercise purpose). When the right knee comes up, the left knee stays back. When the right knee goes back, the left knee comes up towards the stomach. You do this as rapidly as you can. You want a full range of motion, so ensure you are bringing your knees up as far as possible and stretching them back as much as possible. 

Your hands shouldn’t be too far out in front of you. They should be right around your shoulders. By this, you are also receiving an upper body workout because you are holding the plank position as well as moving your feet as fast as possible. 

 

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4. Running High Knees 

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Use your arms properly when doing this exercise. Similar to running, you want to alternate your hand and knee movements. When the right knee goes up, the left arm comes up simultaneously. When the right knee goes down, the left arm goes down.  

Maintaining an effective arm and leg movement balance will help you get into a rhythm as you speed up and increase the intensity of the exercise. 

CARDIO WORKOUT AT HOME (NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED) - LIFEHACK.ORG  5. Step Ups 

 

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Find something in your house that is solid and won’t move if you step on it. Try using a sturdy couch or chair, maybe even a bench if you have one available. If you don’t have anything solid, then place a chair against the wall so it won’t move. Make sure the height of the chair or bench is not too high to where you can’t step onto it comfortably. 

Step up onto the platform of your choosing with one leg. With the opposite leg, you are going to explode it in the air and then step back down onto the ground. If this motion is too difficult, then simply step onto the platform with the other leg. Alternate legs and repeat. 

 

 

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6. Jumping Jacks 

 

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Start standing straight up with your hands at your sides and your legs together. Jump your legs out so that they land wider than shoulder width apart.  

Simultaneously, your arms should move straight out over your head until your hands meet. Touching over your head is an effective reference point to ensure you use full range of motion with your arms. Then jump back to the starting point. This is one repetition. 

 

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7. Towel Knee Bends

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You will need a large towel or two small towels for this exercise as well as a slippery surface to do this exercise. 

Start out in a plank position with the towel(s) at your feet. Hands should be shoulder width apart underneath your shoulders. Bring both feet up at the same time as far as possible. Then bring your legs back down into the plank position. This is one repetition. 

 

 

 

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8. Towel In and Outs 

 

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For this exercise, you are going to need two small towels, one for each foot.  

Start out again in the plank position, extend both feet outward, away from one another. Push your legs out as far as possible depending on how flexible you are in the hip region.  

Try to extend your legs at least shoulder width apart. If you are unable to stretch them that far, just go as far as you can. Then bring your legs back together to the starting plank position. That is one repetition. 

 

 

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9. Wall Sit 

 

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Sit against the wall with your back straight against the wall. Your feet should be right under your knees. Make sure your knees are not extended over your toes. This can be detrimental and cause knee pain.  

On the other hand, your feet should not be extended too far out underneath your knees because this takes away from experiencing the stretch in your quadriceps and the rest of your legs.  

You should be sitting in a position with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Arms should be above your head or laterally at your side the entire time. Do not place your hands on your knees. 

Your Daily Training Plan 

After learning these cardio exercises, it’s time to put them all together. Here’s your daily training plan: 

CARDIO WORKOUT AT HOME (NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED) - LIFEHACK.ORG 

 

CARDIO WORKOUT AT HOME (NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED) - LIFEHACK.ORG  Important Notes:  These are simply repetition and time estimates for a basic workout plan.   If you can’t do the allotted repetitions, figure out how many repetitions you can do.   Start small but challenge yourself by doing them correctly every time. It’s important to do each of the workouts properly, or else you may get injured, and even unable to reap any of the workout benefits.   The rest time in the plan is not long because shorter recovery time will challenge your cardio, help you lose fat, and stress your body in an appropriate manner. If it becomes too intense and you need more time to rest, then take the time you need. You know your body better than anyone else.    

Don’t Stop There!  By doing these exercises consistently, you will observe profound changes in your fitness levels. 

Not only will these cardio exercises strengthen and tone your entire body, but they’ll also help give you more energy and boost your mood. 

If you’d like to stay healthy and fit physically and mentally, stay tuned with our email newsletter that will be delivered to your inbox every now and then. 

Check out our Stay Fit & Healthy videos on YouTube for more workout exercises demonstrations too!