Cardio At Home

If you are not able to do a full strength training circuit to get a cardio boost, there are plenty of other ways to improve your cardiovascular endurance around the house. If you want to do a more formal, structured exercise session, try doing sets of jumping jacks. Jumping jacks are not only for kids! By kicking your legs and swinging your arms, you use your entire body to get your heart pumping, your blood flowing, and your brow sweating. Another good exercise is running in place. To get your whole body engaged, be sure to pump your arms or even hold a pair of light dumbbells as you jog. Another option would be to practice jumping rope. It is amazing to think about the tremendous exercise benefits of a simple piece of rope! It is a great activity to practice wherever you are so be sure to invest in a jump rope and carry it with you wherever you go! Set a target goal for jumps and work towards that each day.

If you are not looking to do any formal type of exercise, you can still derive cardiovascular health benefits from doing chores and activities around the house. There are always things to do inside the house to keep order, but we rarely think of these chores as physical activity. Time to shift your perspective! Wash the dishes, do your laundry, take out the garbage, make your next meal. In all of these activities, your body is moving and over time, this adds up. And an added benefit, of course, is that your house will be spotless. If you want to get even more of a workout, head outside and do some gardening and yard work. Skip the leaf blower and rake the leaves. Or better yet, if you have kids, bring them outside with you and make it a family event. Have fun! Play!