Cardio Workouts for Beginners

Almost everyone has heard the term 'cardio workouts', but how many really know what that means? Why is are cardiovascular exercises called so? Now, you know that the word 'cardio' has got to do something with the heart. Cardiovascular exercises are exercises which demand the heart to work fast at a consistent pace. To this end, cardio workouts usually are such exercises, which involve the movement of the largest muscles in our body. Why do we move the largest muscles in the body? Because, they are the most difficult to move and hence, exercise the heart much more. So, when you move these body parts move faster, it puts pressure on the heart to cope with the demand of blood and oxygen in those parts of the body. Hence, they are known as 'cardio' exercises. So, if you are new to workouts and exercise programs, you might want to about the good cardio workouts for beginners.

Cardio Exercises for Beginners
Well, I don't think anyone is ever a 'beginner' to a cardio workout. At some point of time, you have obviously run a little, played some sport, bicycled around, hiked up a hill, etc. You are probably, just a bit rusty around the joints and want something that will get you in tiptop shape. In case, you've actually never done a little jig with your hands and legs ever, these exercises will help you tone up your bodies as well.

Treadmill: For the beginners, there is no better aerobic exercise than the treadmill. The good thing about the treadmill is that it keeps you walking, till the end of the specified time period. While walking normally, you may be tempted to take a cab, when you get really tired, but with a treadmill there is no easy escape! Sure, you could press the 'off' button, but in my opinion, that temptation is easier to resist than trying to catch a cab. So, if you are a beginner to cardio exercises, you could try walking at the speed of 5-6 km/hr (3-4 mph) for about 15 minutes. Once you start feeling comfortable with this routine, you can increase the heart's work rate, by increasing the time to 25 minutes or increasing the incline on the treadmill. After around 3-4 months, once you are really comfortable with the idea of walking on a treadmill, you can increase the speed to 9-10 km/hr and do some light jogging.

Cycling: An exercise bike is another great form of cardio exercise. An exercise bike is the perfect solution, if you do not know how to ride a bike, as it is self-balanced. An exercise bike has different difficulty levels, once you start feeling comfortable with the current level, you can hitch it up higher. You can start this cardio workout for beginners for 10-15 minutes daily, at the lowest difficulty level. And then increase the time and difficulty level as your progress.

Cross-Trainer: In the cross-train machine, you use both your hands and your legs in the motion. The cross-train machine can probably help you burn a lot more calories than the others, if you work up a good enough speed. People find working out on a cross-trainer quite tough, as it is a motion that people aren't used to, but it is good fun once you get used to it. The cross-trainer requires a lot more energy and hence, as a cardio workout for beginners, should be done for lesser time. You can do the cross-train exercise for about 10 minutes on a zero incline and zero resistance, and then go on increasing the difficulty level, as and when you start feeling comfortable with it.

Other Cardio Workouts: One of the cardio workouts for beginners that people somehow always never consider is dancing. Dancing is undoubtedly, the most fun way of burning calories there is! You learn some new moves and it never gets monotonous. Hence, you can dance your way to a healthy heart and body. Other exercises include swimming, i.e. if you know how to. Swimming again burns a lot of calories, as the water provides a lot more resistance. And, lastly. The best cardio workout you'll find is sports. It's demanding, fun, you get to work as a team and you burn your calories. So, put on those soccer studs and run out! Read on for cardio workouts at home and cardio exercises and workouts.

And, so we come to the end of this article on cardio workouts for beginners. Cardio workouts exercise the heart and are also a good warm-up for the rest of your exercise routines. So, it is very important that you do these workouts daily.