Cardio Workouts

The old adage 'if the heart is fit, then life is a hit', emphasizes how crucial it is to keep the heart healthy to lead a happy life. Cardio workouts can definitely help to achieve this purpose. We have all heard the term 'cardio workouts' a million times but what does cardio really mean? In plain English, cardio means the heart. Any exercise that stimulates the heart rate for a sustained period of time is a cardiovascular workout. When doing a cardio workout, the number of heart beats per minute increases drastically. The heart pumps more blood to meet the demand of the body during exercise. This increased activity of the heart keeps it healthy in the long run. Whether it is to improve heart function, build muscles or lose weight, cardio workouts are the best option.

Cardio Workouts

As the heart supplies fresh oxygenated blood to the body, exercises that help to maintain a healthy heart need to be done on a daily basis. Following are some of the best cardio workouts:

Running
Running is a complete body workout, but more importantly, it is the most preferred cardio activity. Running is a high intensity workout, hence beneficial to burn major calories in less time. Whether one decides to run on a treadmill or outside, the benefits are the same. As it is a rigorous activity, running exercise acts like a calorie burning machine. Therefore, those looking for cardio workouts that burn fat quickly can trust this form of exercise.

Swimming
Considering the different strokes in swimming, this cardio workout can be done in a variety of ways. The resistance exerted by water during this activity makes swimming a challenging exercise routine. The difficulty caused by natural resistance of water forces the person to use more energy to swim properly, which speeds up the calorie burning process. Swimming not only helps to reduce weight but also promotes the build up of shoulder muscle. Among all the swimming strokes, the breast stroke is the most physically exhausting and that is why it provides maximum benefits in terms of weight loss. Breast stroke is one of the best cardio workouts to burn fat.

Cardio Workouts at Home

In today's fast paced lifestyle, joining a gym or devoting time to do exercises in the open fresh air is no easy task. It requires rescheduling day-to-day activities, which many find infeasible. In such circumstances, cardio workouts at home can be a feasible option as it does not require much adjustment in the mundane routine. Following are some of cardiovascular exercises that can be done at home.

Jumping Rope
Skipping or jumping rope is an excellent cardiovascular exercise. It is simple and an enjoyable activity. Just 10-15 minutes of skipping a day and one can derive plenty of health benefits. So those yelling about lack of sufficient time for exercise, (especially CEOs of top companies) will find skipping very easy to include in their daily routine. The jumping action in this cardio workout is highly enjoyable and very effective to burn calories fast and increase fitness levels.

Stationary Bike
Stationary bike workouts provide an easy way to enjoy cycling without actually moving out of the house. Workouts on this exercise machine can help to reduce stubborn belly fat, thus bringing the body in proper shape. It is an excellent lower body workout beneficial to tone up the leg muscles.

Cardio Workouts at Home without Equipment

Financial constrains may deter people to do cardio workouts that require equipment. Having equipment or an access to a gym creates a perfect environment to start a cardiovascular routine. However, there are quite a few cardiovascular exercises that can be done without any equipment, some of which are given below:

• Push Ups
• Squats
• Crunches
• Leg Lifts
• Jumping Jacks

On the whole, leading a healthy lifestyle is not possible without incorporating cardio workouts in the daily routine. Doing cardiovascular exercises for 30-35 minutes everyday can make you healthy, wealthy, and wise, in addition to keeping all sorts of ailments at bay.