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One of the best cardio workouts you can do at home is plyometric moves, such as mountain climbers, squat jumps, and high knees. Plyometrics moves involve brief, intense bursts of exercise that improve muscle power.1
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week, which can include this at-home cardio workout.2 It requires no equipment, just your body weight.
All you need is a little room to move and the ability to push yourself, just enough so your heart starts pumping, and the sweat starts flowing. Here’s what to know about a cardio workout you can do at home.
Benefits of Cardio Exercise
Cardio exercises generally have several benefits, including:34
Boosting your mood
Helping you sleep better
Improving endurance
Managing your weight
Reducing your risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes
Supporting heart health
Plyometrics moves are a type of cardio exercise that uses the speed and force of different movements to build muscle power. The workouts ignite fast-twitch muscle fibers, made for short, powerful bursts of energy.1 Plyometric moves can save space and time since they require maximum effort for short periods.
The 9-Move Cardio Workout at Home
This cardio workout only requires your body weight and includes the following moves:
Mountain climbers
Burpee
Lunge jumps
Squat jumps
Pike-ups
Skater jumps
Tuck jumps
Lateral hurdle hops
High knees
Do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds between each exercise if you’re opting for the high-impact plyometric moves. Prefer staying on two feet and skipping the jumps? Follow the modified moves for 30 seconds each, with just 15 seconds of rest between each exercise.
Do two to three rounds with 60 to 90 seconds of rest between each round. The best part: The more you practice, the less rest you’ll need.
These plyometric exercises also have a low-impact variation for anyone jumping back into fitness after a long hiatus or starting a regular exercise routine for the first time. You can also use these innovative options if you have an injury.
1. Mountain Climbers
Here’s how to do this exercise:
Start in a plank position, shoulders over your wrists, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Keep your core tight and your back flat. Drive one knee in toward your chest, then place it back down.
Immediately drive the opposite knee toward your chest and then place it back down. Continue alternating.
Modification: Eliminate the hop and slow down your pace, still driving one knee at a time toward your chest.
2. Burpee
Here’s how to do this exercise:
Start standing, your feet hip-width apart.
Place both hands flat onto the ground in front of you and hop your feet behind you into a plank. Keep your hips and core tight, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Quickly hop your feet back up toward your hands.
Jump up to stand, bringing your arms above your head and exploding off your feet. Repeat.
Modification: Place your hands flat on the ground, step your left foot back, then step your right foot back and pause in the plank. Step your left foot in and right foot in, and stand back up, bringing your arms overhead.
3. Lunge Jumps
Here’s how to do this exercise:
Start standing, your feet together.
Step your left leg back and lower into a lunge, both knees bent 90 degrees, your back right knee hovering off the floor.
Push through the heel of your front left leg to explode up, switching feet in the air.
Land softly back into a lunge position, right foot forward. Repeat with the right foot forward and continue alternating.
Modification: Drive through the front leg heel and bring the back knee up toward the chest instead of jumping up from the lunge. Kick it straight out in front of you. Place the foot back down and step back with the opposite foot. Continue alternating lunges with a front kick.