How to do cardio exercises at home

DOES DOING CARDIO AT HOME WORK?

Between us, no matter how committed we are to training, sometimes it's difficult to have the motivation to train at home, isn't it? But don't get carried away by that thought. It is possible to set up an exercise routine in the comfort of your home that is as efficient as training at the gym or gym.

Focus mainly on low-impact exercises, which help improve physical conditioning without overloading your joints. These exercises are efficient and can be done even in tighter rooms, as long as you have enough space to do the movements.

See below for some suggestions on how to do cardio exercises. at home. And always remember that it is important to consult a doctor and a physical education professional so that they can guide you on the practices that best suit your goals and physical characteristics.

1. PLANK

The plank is that exercise that seems easy, but actually requires a lot of strength from your arms, legs and core.

To get into the plank, get into a push-up position, with your body extended on the floor, on a yoga mat, mat or soft surface. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms. Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line — from your ears to your toes, without sagging or bending!

Keep your head relaxed, without a stiff neck, and look at the floor. Breathe calmly. Stay in the position for as long as you can.

2. CLIMBER

The mountain climber exercise is quite simple. Squat down and place your hands on the floor. Your knees should not touch the floor, just your toes. Bend your right leg forward, bringing it close to your chest, and keep your left leg straight. Then switch: flex the left and extend the right. Continue doing the movement continuously and quickly, one leg after the other, as if you were climbing a mountain.

Keep your abdomen firm and contracted while doing the exercise.

3. JUMP SQUATS

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips, with your toes facing forward or slightly outward. Lower yourself into a squat, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor. Jump. When you land, lower yourself into a squat motion and continue the exercise.

4. BURPEES

The burpee is a complete push-up exercise with jumping. Here we go: stand up straight and then squat down with your arms straight in front of you. Place your hands on the floor and place your feet back together, stretching your legs.

If you're feeling excited, do a push-up, or go straight to the next move: returning your feet to the squat position, then standing back up. Jump with your arms straight up. Start the cycle again.

5. SIDE SQUAT WITH DISPLACEMENT

When practicing this squat, you will spread your legs far apart to lower your hips until they almost touch the floor.

Start standing up. Do a squat, moving one of your feet to the side and spreading your legs wide apart. Stay in the frog position, typical of yoga: squatting with your legs apart and your hands together in a prayer posture, with your elbows touching the inside of your thighs.

Stand up again. Breathe. Repeat the lateral squat with displacement a few times.

6. ALTERNATING LUNGE WITH JUMP

In addition to helping to strengthen your muscles, this exercise works on coordination. Here we go: stand up straight, with your feet hip-width apart. Place one foot about half a meter in front of the other. Flex your back foot, standing on the toe.

Now squat down until your back knee touches the floor and your front knee is bent at a 90-degree angle to the floor. Place your hands on your hips or head and prepare for the jump.

It may not seem like it at first glance, but the lunge position allows you to jump with great force. To do this, give a strong push when leaving the floor. In mid-air, quickly move your back foot forward and your front foot back.

You will land in the opposite position from the starting position, with your feet inverted. If the left foot was in front, now it will be behind and vice versa. But be careful: land without flexing your knees too much and without too much impact.

Now, flex your legs and start the movement again, always inverting your feet each time.

To reduce the impact on your knees, it's best to do this exercise on a soft surface, like a lawn or a yoga mat.

7. POLITCHINELS

You've probably done jumping jacks at some point in your life, right? In any case, we are here to help you remember to practice this cardio exercise at home.

Start standing, with your body upright, legs together and hands extended along your body. Then, jump up so that your arms follow the movement. Raise them above your head so that your palms touch each other.
While the arms touch each other at the top, the legs move apart. Then, do the opposite: the feet are at the bottom while the arms move away, extending them at the sides of the body. Remember to keep your feet well positioned and flex your knees well during the exercise.

8. KNEE RAISES

Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides. Then turn slightly to the right while lifting your right knee toward your right shoulder. Contract your abs and oblique muscles to raise your knee as high as you can.

Place your right foot back on the floor and turn slightly to the left while lifting your left knee in relation to your left shoulder. Repeat the cycle throughout the exercise. Try to stay upright so that your knee moves up without your shoulder going down.

Did you see? There is no shortage of options when the challenge is to do cardio exercises at home. Combine training with a healthy diet – with important macro and micronutrients – and don't forget to always stay hydrated.

References
1. World Health Organization. Field-based measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness to evaluate physical activity interventions. Available in:
https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/276019

2. National Health Service. Easy exercises. Available in:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/easy-low-impact-exercises/