9 Best Home Cardio Exercises

What: Repeatedly jumping the feet wide while circling the arms overhead, then back again

Why: Jumping jacks burn about 100 calories in 10 minutes. No special equipment or skills are needed

Requirements: A good pair of shoes, a conditioned heart, and a sturdy floor

Precautions: Jumping jacks are high impact, which may tax the joints. May remind you of elementary or high school gym class traumas

Variations: Plyo-jacks, stepping the feet out rather than jumping, on a step, holding a medicine ball, pushup jacks

Best Way to Use Jumping Jacks in a Workout:

• In a Cardio Circuit: Use jumping jacks in a circuit, doing them for 30-60 seconds and alternating them with other cardio exercises such as marching, jogging, jumping rope, etc. Try a different variation of jumping jacks each time, repeating the circuit for 10-30 minutes.
• In a Strength Circuit: Alternate 30-60 seconds of jumping jacks with strength exercises such as squats, lunges, pushups, and dips for 10-30 minutes.
• In Your Regular Workout: Add a high intensity blast to your regular cardio or strength workouts by adding a minute or more of jumping jacks throughout the workout or at the end.

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What: Turning a rope with handles repeatedly while jumping over it and (optional) chanting rhymes .

Why: It's great cardio, burning about 220 calories in 20 minutes. Jump ropes are inexpensive, travel well, require no special skills, and can be used anywhere you have the space .

Requirements: A jump rope, a good pair of shoes, patience, and practice.

Precautions: Jumping rope is high impact and requires practice. It looks easy, but beginners may have all the grace of a pigeon-toed elephant and trip often. For the best results, turn the rope with the wrists, not the arms, and land softly. Only jump high enough to clear the rope​

Variations: Jumping on one foot, alternating feet, crossing the feet, jumping with high knees, double turning the rope
Best Jump Rope Workouts:

• Beginner Circuit: Alternating 10-30 seconds of jumping with marching in place for 5-10 circuits. Gradually work up to longer jumping sessions
• Cardio Circuit: Alternate 30-60 seconds of jumping with other cardio exercises such as marching, jogging, jumping jacks, etc.
• Strength Circuit: Alternate 30-60 seconds of jumping with strength exercises, such as squats, lunges, pushups, and dips.  

What: Jogging in a stationary position​

Why: It's simple, accessible, gets the heart rate up and is a great way to warm up for more intense exercise

Requirements: A good pair of shoes and a sturdy floor

Precautions: It's high impact, which may tax the joints, and it can be boring. Because there's no forward motion, it isn't as intense as jogging outside​

Variations: Press the arms overhead, high knees, butt kicks, wide knees​

Best Way to Use Jogging in Place in a Workout:

• As a Warm Up: Start by marching in place, then slowly change that to a jog to prepare your body for more strenuous exercise
• In a Cardio Circuit: Alternate jogging in place with other cardio exercises, such as marching, jogging, jumping rope, step touches, etc. Do each for 30-60 seconds, repeating for 10-30 minutes
• In a Strength Circuit: Alternate 30-60 seconds of jogging in place with strength exercises, such as squats, lunges, pushups, and dips for 10-30 minutes.
• As an Active Break: Try jogging in place when you need an active break at work or at home

What: Squatting to the floor, jumping the feet to a plank position, jumping back in and standing up

Why: It's a killer cardio exercise, burning 100 or more calories in 10 minutes (if you can stomach 10 minutes of this exercise

Requirements: A good pair of shoes, experience with high impact exercise, an iron will

Precautions: It's really, really hard

Variations: Stepping the feet back instead of jumping, jump up at the end, add a pushup or use equipment: Medicine ball, BOSU, kettlebell, or Gliding Discs

Best Way to Use Burpees in a Workout:

• Sparingly: As mentioned above, it's really, really hard
• In a Cardio Circuit: Incorporate 30-60 seconds burpees every 3-4 minutes of a cardio circuit that includes other exercises, such as marching, jogging, jumping rope, step touches, etc.
• In a Strength Circuit: Add 30-60 seconds of burpees every 3-5 strength exercises, such as squats, lunges, pushups, and dips for 10-30 minutes.
• In High Intensity Interval Training: Do 30-60 seconds of burpees, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat for 10 or more minutes. You can also use burpees in a Tabata workout.

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What: From a pushup position, running the knees in and out​

Why: Mountain climbers raise the heart rate while building strength and endurance in the core. No special skills are needed​

Requirements: Strong wrists and a floor​

Precautions: This exercise can tax the wrists, arms, and shoulders as well as the core​

Variations: Alternate jumping each foot forward and back, use Gliding Discs, paper plates or towels, combine them with other exercises such as burpees, pushups, or planks​

Best Way to Use Mountain Climbers in a Workout:

• In a Cardio Circuit: Add mountain climbers to your cardio circuit, doing them for 30-60 seconds each time
• In a Strength Workout: Combine mountain climbers with pushups or planks to add intensity
• In Combinations: For high intensity, do a series of mountain climbers with burpees, alternate 10 pushups with 10 mountain climbers, or add them to bear crawls

What: From a squat position, jump as high as you can, landing back into a squat​

Why: Squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that will raise the heart rate, burn calories, and increase power in the legs. No special skills are needed

Requirements: Happy knees, experience with high impact exercise, a good pair of shoes, and a floor​

Precautions: This exercise is high impact and high intensity and requires strong joints and a strong heart. With any plyo exercise, land softly to protect the joints​

Variations: Prisoner squat jumps, froggy jumps, on the BOSU​

Best Way to Use Squat Jumps in a Workout:

• In a Cardio Workout: Incorporate 30-60 seconds of squat jumps into your regular cardio workout or in a cardio circuit with other exercises, such as marching, jogging, jumping rope, step touches, etc.
• In a Lower Body Workout: Add 30-60 seconds of squat jumps after every 3-5 lower body exercises, such as squats, lunges or deadlifts to increase intensity, power, and strength
• In High Intensity Interval Training: Do 30-60 seconds of squat jumps, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat for 10 or more minutes. You can also use squat jumps in a Tabata workout.

What: Squatting to the floor, walking the hands out to a pushup, walking the hands back. and standing up...like a bear

Why: They get the heart rate way up while building strength and endurance

Requirements: A floor, a love of bears, experience with high intensity exercise

Precautions : This move is tougher than it looks and the intensity accumulates quickly

Variations: No pushup, pushup on the knees, keeping the knees down as you crawl in and out

Best Way to Use Bear Crawls in a Workout:

• In a Cardio/Strength Workout: Incorporate 30-60 seconds of bear crawls into your regular cardio workout or in a cardio circuit with other exercises such as marching, jogging, jumping rope, burpees, etc.
• In an Upper Body Workout: Add 30-60 seconds of bear crawls every 3-5 upper body exercises such as pushups, chest presses or dumbbell rows to increase intensity, power, and strength
• In High Intensity Interval Training: Do 30-60 seconds of bear crawls, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat for 10 or more minutes or alternate bear crawls with other high intensity exercises such as burpees or squat jumps. You can also use bear crawls in a Tabata workout.

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What: Punching, kicking, and combinations thereof against a bag, the air or (risky) another person

Why: Kickboxing can burn more than 100 calories in 10 minutes, at the right intensity, requires no equipment and can help you get out your aggressions

Requirements: Basic knowledge of kicks and punches

Precautions: Extending the arms and legs all the way during punches and kicks can stress the joints

Variations: Endless combinations of kicks, punches, or both​

Best Way to Kickbox in a Workout:

• Create Your Own Cardio Workout: If you're familiar with kickboxing, make your own combinations: Jab-cross-hook-upper, jab-cross-hook-knee smash-front kick, squats with front kicks, jumping front kicks, or side kicks
• Exercise Videos: Familiarize yourself with different elements of kickboxing with these instructional videos: Kickboxing Kicks, Punches, Tabata Jump Kicks with Jumping Side Lunges. You can also try home kickboxing videos.

What: Using a staircase for everything from cardio to strength training

Why: Walking stairs is an excellent cardio workout and you can use the steps for a variety of other exercises​

Requirements: A staircase with at least one step

Precautions: Watch for cats, dogs, toys, and children. Make sure there's a handrail for safety

Variations: Use a step​

Best Way to Incorporate Stairs Into Your Workout:

• In a Cardio Circuit: If you have a longer staircase (more than 6 stairs), work it into a cardio circuit: Alternate 1-2 laps up and down with other cardio exercises, such as jumping rope, jogging in place, jumping jacks, etc.
• In High-Intensity Interval Training: Run or walk up the stairs as fast as you can and walk back down to recover, repeating for 10 or more minutes. You can also use just one step: Jump onto the step with both feet and step down, or stand sideways with one foot on the step and jump, turning 180 degrees and landing with the other foot on the step
• In Strength Workouts: Use one step for pushups, lunges, dips, squats, step ups and more.

What: The great outdoors​

Why: There's fresh air out there and it's fun to actually go somewhere when you're exercising

Requirements: A door to the outside world, a decent pair of shoes, sunglasses, and sunscreen

Precautions: Watch out for dog poop, heat, cold, chatty neighbors, distracted drivers, and bikers​

Variations: Endless

Best Way to Exercise Outdoors:

• Walk: For weight loss, walk at a brisk pace, and incorporate hills and sprints to increase intensity. Walking Workouts
• Run: If you're a beginner, start with a walk/run program to condition your body. 
• Circuit Training: You're not just stuck with walking or running outside. You can also incorporate strength exercises with your walks or runs to add intensity and make things more interesting. 
• Play: Tossing a Frisbee or a football, chasing the dog or the kids or a day at the park makes exercise more fun