Cardio is like a four letter word. People dread their weekly cardio sessions. Let’s face it pounding out 30 minutes on a treadmill while you stare at the wall can be pretty boring. But never fear, there are plenty of other options for getting your daily dose of cardio without having to use the dreaded treadmill. Firstly, unless you’re specifically training for an endurance event like a 5km race, there’s no need to do all your cardio at once. You can accumulate it in smaller doses, say 3x 10min across the day. Secondly it doesn’t have to be 30 minutes of steady state cardio. It can be 15 minutes of high intensity interval cardio and you will find similar health benefits to your heart, lungs and metabolic systems. (1 min high intensity: 1 min low intensity alternating)
The key with getting the cardio system involved is to recruit large muscles groups and perform repetitive movements. The following is a list of suggestions that DON’T require a treadmill.
1. Star jumps |
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2. Skipping rope |
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3. Boxing |
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4. Kicks |
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5. Mountain climbers |
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6. Skater jumps |
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7. Jog on spot |
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8. High knees |
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9. Butt kicks |
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10. Burpees |
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