Overcoming Cardio Challenges: 7 Great Exercises for Cardio Training

Do you find it tough to push yourself during your cardio training exercises? Getting discouraged and giving up on your fitness goals might be easy. There are ways to overcome cardio challenges. In this blog, we will introduce you to 10 exercises for cardio training. These exercises are great for increasing your endurance, stamina, and strength. So, get up and get moving!

1. What is cardio training exercises?

Cardio training (also known as cardiovascular exercise) is the term used to describe an exercise done to increase the heart rate and the amount of oxygen in the blood. We can do cardio training with many different exercises, including running, swimming, cycling, or using an elliptical machine. It can also include strengthening exercises that are done to increase the muscle mass of the heart.

2. Benefits of cardio training exercises

2.1 Lower blood pressure: 

Cardio Exercise is key to treating and preventing high blood pressure (also known as high blood pressure). According to a 2015 study, high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, heart failure, and even dementia.

Researchers note that exercise, including cardio exercise, consistently lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients. It also works to lower systolic blood pressure for nearly 24 hours.

2.2 Strengthen the immune system:

A 2020 review found that regular exercise (such as cardio training) benefits the immune system. Exercise also helps keep your blood cells and cytokines (a type of protein) healthy. Both components are important in regulating the immune system.

2.3 Improve sex performance

Cardio exercises decrease the possibilities of erectile disorder in guys, thus resulting in better arousal for women.

2.4 Contribute to healthy weight-loss

Regular cardio exercises can help you maintain your fitness or lose weight depending on your goals.

A 2013 study of 92 participants found that overweight or obese men and women lost weight over ten months after doing only cardio training without dietary changes.

2.5 Better sleep and energy

There’s a reason you feel wonderful after exercising. Physical exercise boosts your energy by releasing endorphins, giving you more sustained energy throughout the day.

When it comes to hitting the sheets, the last thing you want to struggle with is falling asleep after a long, hard day. Fortunately, cardio helps you fall asleep faster and promotes REM sleep.

3. 7 Great Exercises for Cardio Training

Here are 7 great cardio training exercises you can practice anywhere, anywhen:

3.1. Squat to front kicks and squat jumps 

Squat to front kick:

This exercise challenges a person’s balance by adding a one-leg kick to the top of the squat position.

How to do:

• Stand with the feet apart at hip-width and arms at the sides.
• Bend the knees to squat down.
• Return to standing and extend one leg to carry out the front kick.
• Repeat the kick on the other side.

Squats jumps

The squat jump is an effective way to increase the intensity of your workout routine. You will work on your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves during this exercise.

How to do:

• Stand with your feet apart at hip-width and your arms at your sides.
• Bend your knees to squat. 
• From that squat position, jump into the air and straighten your hips until your body is straight. 
• Gently lands on the ball of your feet and rolls backward to absorb the impact of your heel. 
• Repeat the process with different arm movements to adjust the difficulty.

3.2 Mountain Climber 

The mountain climber is a great workout routine for the abdominal muscles. Since you need to stay in a high pushup position, it will brace your body core. You will also push your shoulders and middle back into the equation. Once you start the exercise, your legs and hips also move.

How to do:

• Begin in a high pushup position. Your palms stack directly under your shoulders. Elbows out, and feet a bit wider than hip-width apart. The shoulders must be in a higher position than the hips.
• Squeeze your shoulders, center, and glutes to create full-body tension. Look down at the floor, retaining your head in a neutral position.
• Drive one knee up high toward your chest. Return your leg straight. Repeat with the other leg.
• Continue alternating reps, operating to maintain your torso in position together with your shoulders higher than your hips.

3.3 High Knees

High knees are a fast-paced cardio training exercise. It helps to activate your core, strengthen all your leg muscles, and get your heart rate up. Doing this exercise also improves your momentum, coordination, and flexibility. High knees are incorporated into various workouts due to their many physical benefits.

How to:

• Start with the standing position on the floor or a mat
• Arms bent at 90-degree angles. Elbows near the two sides. Hands at hip height in front of the body.
• Bend your right leg and lift your right knee to tap your hands.
• Return the proper knee to the floor.
• Quickly repeat on the other side.

3.4 Plank get up

The plank get-up (or up-and-down plank) reinforces your core, arms, wrists, glutes, and shoulders. This cardio exercise allows you to enhance your posture, tighten the midsection, and add value to your weight-loss process.

How to do:

• Start in a low plank with forearms at the ground and parallel and elbows beneath shoulders.
• Pick up the proper forearm and press through the hand to increase the arm straight.
• Then, repeat with the left to return right into a high plank, maintaining hips as degree as possible.
• Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.

3.5. Jump rope

You can perform this cardio exercise without an actual jump rope as a beginner, then get the rope when you are used to the movement. The form is the same either way.

How to do:

• Start with your feet close together and arms at your sides.
• Bend your elbows (however keep them close to your body) and spread your forearms to hip height.
• Start making small circles as you move your forearms forward and jump with your feet simultaneously. (If you’re using a jump rope, your goal is to wrap the cord around your body and under your feet each time you jump.)

3.6. Scream lunges

Screamer lunges help build leg muscles while challenging the heart.

How to do:

• Stand with the feet hip-width apart.
• Extend the proper leg backward to a lunge role.
• Push off with the foot to raise the proper knee to hip height, leaping to the air at the same time as doing so.
• Return the proper foot to the beginning role and repeat for ten lunges on one side.
• Repeat for the other leg.

3.7. Jumping jacks and cross-legged jacks

Basic Jumping jacks

Jumping jacks are cardiovascular exercises you can perform anywhere, even in small spaces.

How to do:

• Stand with your feet apart at hip-width, your arms at the sides.
• Raise your hands out to the edges and above your head. Simultaneously, bounce your feet out so they may be wider than hip-width apart.
• Quickly opposite the motion and go back to the starting position.
• Cross-legged jacks
• Cross-legged jacks are a variation of jumping jacks, which you can change over time to avoid boredom.

Cross-legged jacks

How to do:

• Stand with your feet apart at a hip distance, arms at your sides.
• Raise and preserve your arms out to the edges at shoulder height. At equal time, bounce your feet out so they may be wider than hip-width apart.
• When you bounce your feet back in, you will start to go one over the other, alternating with every rep.
• After some reps, you’ve chosen to include a cross-body press with your arms so they mimic the motion of your feet.

4. How to get the most out of home workout routine

When doing cardiovascular training, one should pay attention to the exercise practice itself and the effort and intensity with which it is performed. One of the ways the exercise professional accomplishes this is by having a person estimate “perceived exertion or rate of exertion,” or RPE.

RPE is an intensity scale where 0 represents rest and 10 represents training to a person’s maximum capacity. Most people are not recommended to aim for 10 when performing home exercises.

During the home workout section, an individual should ideally aim for RPE between 3 and 7, indicating moderate to vigorous levels.

Alternating resistance levels and increasing RPE in subsequent home workouts can help improve a person’s cardio exercise routine. In addition to focusing on effort, consistency is also important.

A consistent home exercise routine 3-5 days a week can improve your fitness and overall physical health.

Conclusion

There are quite a few ways to improve your cardiovascular fitness. You can do pushups, sit-ups, and crunches. You can also do lunges, squats, and other bodyweight exercises. There are several different ways to build endurance, so there is no need to stick to one form of cardio training exercise.

Source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a22995307/cardio-exercises/