15 Best Cardio Exercises To Do At Home

Hate running outside for cardio? You’re not alone.

While cardio exercises are essential for your health, most imagine cardio to be a painful 30 minutes of jogging outside and simply choose to skip it. But cardio can be so much more than running, and the best part is you can do various cardio exercises in the comfort of your home.

Below, we’ve put together 15 effective cardio exercises that you can do at home. With beginner, intermediate, and advanced categories, you can choose a workout that fits your fitness level.

Before we dive into the top cardio workouts, let's discuss why they’re so beneficial. Engaging in cardio exercises  increases the heart rate, improves blood flow and oxygen delivery, which results in improved cardiovascular health. Cardio workouts also help burn calories, build endurance, and improve overall fitness levels. 

The CDC recommends  150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity for average adults as a healthy goal; however, this is just a starting point. Your cardio workout frequency should align with your fitness goals and current fitness level. If you’re a beginner,  start with 2-3 light workouts weekly and increase gradually. If you’re advanced, do 4-6 sessions weekly, but make sure to rest for recovery and injury prevention. Always listen to your body and take rest days as needed.

If you’re a beginner, you may want to start with low-impact cardio exercises that are easy on your joints and don’t require any equipment. Here are five of the best cardio exercises for beginners.

Walking is a low-impact exercise that can elevate your heart rate, increase lung capacity, burn calories, and improve cardiovascular health—especially when done at a brisk pace or on an incline. Just pop your favorite Netflix show on for 30 minutes and walk away! 

To perform: 

1. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides
2. Begin walking at a comfortable pace, lifting your left foot and then your right foot
3. Gradually increase the pace to get your heart rate up

To make easier/more difficult: Make walking on a treadmill easier by keeping your pace slow and steady or more difficult by adding high knees, heel kicks, or ankle weights.

Ascend treadmills are available in max speeds of 12 km/h, 14 km/h, and 16 km/h, with a foldable mechanism to store them away at home when not in use. 

Jumping rope is an effective cardio exercise that targets multiple muscles and elevates your heart rate. It's a fun way to get your heart pumping and burn calories. Regular jumping rope workouts can improve coordination, balance, and endurance while strengthening the legs, core, and arms.

To Perform:

1. Hold the handles of a jump rope in each hand and swing it overhead
2. Jump over the rope as it comes towards your feet
3. Repeat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, taking short breaks as needed

To make easier/more difficult: Make jumping rope easier by slowing down the pace or using a lighter rope. Make it more challenging by increasing the speed, doing double jumps, or adding in crossovers or other tricks.

Standing knee raises work as a cardio workout by engaging the leg muscles, elevating the heart rate, and improving balance and coordination. They also activate the core muscles and help burn calories, making them an effective cardio exercise.

To Perform: 

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides
2. Lift your left knee as high as you can, then lower it back down
3. Repeat for 30 seconds before switching to your right knee

To make easier/more difficult: Make standing knee raises easier by holding onto a stable surface or doing a low knee lift. Make them more difficult by adding weights, doing high knee lifts, or incorporating a hop.

Dancing works as a cardio workout by providing a fun and engaging way to move your body while increasing heart rate, burning calories, and improving coordination, balance, and flexibility.

To perform: Turn on your favorite music and start dancing! This low-impact cardio exercise is fun and easy to do with no set steps or requirements. To elevate your dance routine, and find fun alternatives, you can always find dance cardio routines on YouTube. 

To make easier/more difficult: Make dancing easier by choosing slower-paced movements or following a beginner-level routine. Make it more difficult by increasing the tempo, adding jumps or turns, or trying more complex choreography.

Jumping jacks work as a cardio workout by elevating your heart rate, burning calories, and engaging multiple muscle groups, including the legs, arms, and core. They're also a great warm-up exercise.

To Perform: 

1. Stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides 
2. Jump your feet out to the sides while raising your arms overhead 
3. Jump your feet back together and lower your arms 
4. Repeat for 30 seconds.

To make easier/more difficult: To make this exercise easier, step your feet out to the sides instead of jumping. To make it more challenging, add a tuck jump at the end of each jumping jack.

These exercises are for those who feel like the beginner exercises are too easy. Intermediate level exercises are more intense and require more experience with cardio workouts.

Rowing

Rowing is a full-body workout that elevates heart rate, burns calories, and strengthens muscles. It works your legs, back, core, and arms while improving endurance and posture.

To Perform:

1. Sit on a rowing machine with your feet strapped in and your hands on the handle
2. Push with your legs, then pull the handle towards your chest while leaning back slightly
3. Extend your arms, lean forward, and bend your knees to return to the starting position
4. Repeat for 10-20 minutes

To make easier/more difficult: Adjust the resistance level for an easier or more challenging workout. Incorporate intervals or sprints to increase intensity. 

Ascend’s collection of at-home rowers includes air rowers, water rowers, and magnetic rowers to suit your preferred rowing experience. 

Mountain climbers work as a cardio workout by targeting the upper and lower body muscles, increasing heart rate, and burning calories. They also improve endurance, coordination, and core strength.

To Perform:

1. Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart
2. Bring one knee toward your chest, then quickly switch legs, keeping your core engaged and your hips low 
3. Continue alternating legs for 30-60 seconds

To make easier/more difficult: To make this exercise easier, slow down the pace and step your feet in and out instead of jumping. To make it more challenging, increase the speed and add a twist at the end of each mountain climber.

Plank jacks work as a cardio workout by engaging the core, arms, and legs, increasing heart rate, and burning calories. They also improve balance, coordination, and stability.

To Perform:

1. Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart
2. Jump your feet out and in like a jumping jack while keeping your core engaged and your hips low
3. Continue for 30-60 seconds.

To make easier/more difficult: Make plank jacks easier by stepping your feet out instead of jumping or holding a plank without any movement. Make them more difficult by adding a push-up or a jump with a tuck.

Skater jumps work as a cardio workout by targeting the leg muscles, elevating heart rate, and burning calories. They also improve balance, coordination, and agility while engaging the core muscles.

To Perform:

1. Start with feet shoulder-width apart, then jump sideways to the right while sweeping your left leg behind your right leg 
2. Land on your right foot and repeat on the other side
3. Continue for 30-60 seconds.

To make easier/more difficult: Make skater jumps easier by reducing the distance of the jump or stepping instead of jumping. Make them more difficult by adding a hop, increasing the distance, or incorporating ankle weights.

Bicycle crunches work as a cardio workout by engaging the abdominal muscles, increasing heart rate, and burning calories. They also improve balance, coordination, and flexibility while working the oblique muscles.

To Perform:

1. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and legs in tabletop position
2. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground and touch your left elbow to your right knee while straightening your left leg 
3. Alternate sides for 30-60 seconds.

To make easier/more difficult: Make bicycle crunches easier by placing one foot on the ground. Make them more difficult by holding weights.

These cardio workouts are only for the experienced and can be quite intense. Unless you have extensive training or have built up to an advanced level with your cardio workouts, be cautious with these options.

Exercise biking is an excellent cardio workout that's easy on the joints and can be done at home. It elevates your heart rate and burns calories while working your leg muscles, improving endurance, and boosting your mood.

To Perform:

1. Set up your stationary bike and adjust the resistance as desired
2. Start pedaling at a moderate pace, gradually increasing speed and resistance
3. Continue for 20-30 minutes, or longer for a more intense workout

To make easier/more difficult: Start with a low resistance and gradually increase it. To make it more challenging, try interval training by alternating between high and low intensities. 

Shop Ascend’s selection of exercise bikes, including spin bikes and air bikes, to start your cardio journey today. 

Tuck jumps work as a cardio workout by raising the heart rate, burning calories, and engaging the leg muscles. They also improve explosive power, balance, and coordination.

To Perform:

1. Start in a standing position with knees slightly bent
2. Jump up explosively, pulling your knees up toward your chest, and land softly with knees bent
3. Repeat for 30-60 seconds

To make easier/more difficult: Make tuck jumps easier by reducing the height of the jump or doing a modified version with a step. Make it more difficult by adding weights.

Jump squats are a cardio workout that raises the heart rate and engages the leg muscles. They also improve explosive power, balance, and coordination. Jump squats burn calories and build endurance.

To Perform:

1. Start in a standing position with feet shoulder-width apart
2. Squat down, keeping your weight on your heels, and jump explosively, straightening your legs and raising your arms above your head
3. Land softly with knees bent
4. Repeat for 30-60 seconds

To make easier/more difficult: To make jump squats easier, perform a squat, then push onto your tip toes without actually jumping.  To make them more challenging, hold a weight.

Burpees are a full-body exercise that combines strength and cardio. They work multiple muscle groups and increase heart rate, making them an effective cardio workout for burning calories and improving fitness.

To Perform: 

1. Start in a standing position
2. Drop down to a squat 
3. Kick your legs back into a plank 
4. Jump your feet forward
5. Jump up with arms overhead. 
6. Repeat for several reps or for a set time.

To make easier/more difficult: To make burpees easier, you can eliminate the jump at the end or use a bench to place your hands on. To make them harder, add a push-up or a jump tuck at the end.

Box jumps work as a cardio workout because they engage a large number of muscles in the lower body, including the glutes, quads, and calves, while also increasing heart rate and respiration.

To Perform: 

1. Start in a standing position in front of a  sturdy box
2. Jump onto the box, landing with both feet at the same time
3. Jump back down to the starting position 
4. Repeat for several reps

To make easier/more difficult: To make box jumps easier, use a lower platform or step instead of a box. To make them more difficult, use a higher box or add weights to the exercise.

To maintain good cardiovascular health and burn calories, you can aim for 30 minutes of cardio every day. But if you want to lose weight or improve your overall fitness, you'll need to increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. Try to aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio each week to achieve your goals.

If you're looking for an effective cardio workout that will burn calories and help you achieve your fitness goals, aim for cardio exercises that push your heart rate to 80% or more of your maximum heart rate. This level of intensity can help you achieve EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption).

EPOC is the amount of oxygen required to restore your body to its pre-exercise state after a workout. When you exercise at high intensities, your body consumes more oxygen than it can immediately replenish, creating an oxygen debt. To repay this debt, your body continues to consume oxygen at a higher rate even after you finish exercising, resulting in a higher calorie burn for several hours after your workout.

Not only does EPOC help you burn more calories, but it also has other benefits such as improving your metabolic rate and promoting fat loss. So, next time you hit the gym or workout at home, aim to push your heart rate to 80% or more of your maximum heart rate to achieve EPOC and maximize the benefits of your cardio workout.

Here’s an example of a 30-minute cardio workout that will work for someone at an intermediate level.

Warm-up: Take 5 minutes to walk in place, march in place, or do some light jogging.

Main workout: Alternate between this list, spending 30 seconds on each exercise. Make sure to include  a 10-second rest between each exercise.

• Jumping Jacks
• Side Shuffle
• Mountain Climbers
• Skater Jumps
• Squat Jumps
• Jumping Lunges

Cool-down: Spend 5 minutes after your workout to stretch and wind down. It is important to give your muscles this time to avoid injury and cramping.

Cardio workouts can bring a lot of benefits to your overall health and wellbeing in just 30 minutes a day. These benefits include improving your cardiovascular health by strengthening your heart and promoting blood flow. Similar benefits include burning anywhere from 200-500 calories, reducing stress, and improving mood by releasing endorphins. There is also the added bonus of enhancing your endurance to tackle daily activities and other workouts.

There is no single best cardio exercise to do at home. In fact, there are multiple exercises you can do at all levels as discussed above. The most effective cardio exercise will depend on your fitness level and personal preferences.

Working out at home can boost cardiovascular health, burn calories, and improve overall fitness. Whether you're a newbie or an experienced athlete, there are tons of cardio exercises at home you can do at home with and without equipment. However, starting slowly, warming up, and listening to your body is crucial to avoid injuries. With determination and consistency, you can accomplish your fitness goals and savor the perks of a regular cardio workout at home.

Are you ready to transform your body and mind? Join the Ascend community today and take your fitness journey to the next level. With high-quality cardio and strength equipment, including treadmills, spin bikes, rowers, and ellipticals, you'll have everything you need to reach your goals.