We are going to discuss 15 cardio exercises that will help you to build fitness at home. When you think of cardio training, you might immediately think of working out on a cross-trainer at the gym or going for a long endurance run. Running is a good way to build up your fitness, but there are even more cardio exercises that will help you improve your endurance, strength, and fitness at home.
Top 15 cardio exercises to build fitness at home
In this article, we will explore 15 cardio exercises that will help you build endurance, strength, and overall fitness. Each one requires multiple joints and puts more than one muscle group to work. They improve coordination and increase the heart rate. It allows you to create a full-body fitness workout that takes little time and allows you to mimic everyday movements.
Choose some of these 15 cardio exercises and turn them into a 20-minute circuit. It suggests picking six to eight exercises and resting for 30 seconds between each one.
List of 15 cardio exercises to build fitness at home
- Jump burpee 180
- Side toe tap
- Resistance band frog jump
- Seated leg kick
- Bench sprints
- Jump rope
- Walking lunge
- Fast feet
- Jumping lunges
- Shoulder tapers
- Dumbbell press
- Dumbbell punch
- Alternating dumbbell release
- Push-up with a rowing motion
- Suicide sprint
Jump burpee 180
How to do it: Start in a squat position, feet shoulder-width apart. Lower the hips and place the palms on the floor. Jump back into a plank position and lower yourself to the floor. Do a push-up and come up explosively. During the jump, turn half a turn, 180 degrees. Then do a burpee on the other side. This is one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 sets of 8 reps.
What it does: This is the ultimate total-body workout: it strengthens the shoulders, chest, quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Plus, because of the half turn, coordination and spatial awareness improve.”
Side toe tap
How to do it: Place a dumbbell, kettlebell, or something similar between your feet. Tap the top of the object with the toe of your right foot, but keep your weight on your left foot. Quickly shift your weight to your right foot and now touch the object with your left foot. That’s one repetition. Continue to switch quickly while lightly tapping the object with your toe.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 sets of 8 reps.
What it does: This is an excellent speed exercise that activates the hip because it’s done on a different leg each time. The exercise improves the sense of balance and stability.
Resistance band frog jump
How to do it: Stand upright, with a resistance band under tension under your knees. The feet are slightly further apart than shoulder width and are slightly turned outwards. Squat down and place your hands on the floor between your legs, keeping your chest and chin high. Then jump up and throw your arms in the air so that your body is fully extended at the top of the jump. Bring your arms back down as you land in the starting position. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 sets of 8 reps.
What it does: It is an explosive variation of the squat jump. Frog jumps promote mobility in the hips, knees, and ankles. The band provides continuous tension in the hips.’
Seated leg kick
How to do it: Start in a position on all fours, knees slightly above the floor. The back is horizontal, the shoulders are directly above the wrists, and the knees are below the hips. Kick one leg under the body, along the other leg forward. Raise one arm as your hip drops toward the floor. Pull your leg back to the starting position and do the same on the other side. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 4 to 5 sets of 10 reps.
What it does: This is a dynamic move that targets the core, shoulders, quadriceps, and glutes. Plus, it addresses dexterity and coordination. It also improves cognitive functions because new motor patterns need to be learned and help you build fitness at home.
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Bench sprints
How to do it: Stand near a box or bench, place your right foot firmly on top of it and your left foot on the floor. Quickly switch feet, touch the box with your left foot, and return to the starting position. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 4 to 5 sets of 10 reps.
What it does: Improves agility and strengthens the quadriceps and glutes.
Jump rope
How to do it: Start with the traditional movement. Keep your elbows close to your ribs, make large circles with both hands, and keep your back straight. If that goes well, you can vary: jump forward and backward, or sideways from left to right.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 sets of 20 seconds.
What it does: Jumping rope improves the reactivity of lower body muscles. The heart rate increases rapidly. Jumping forwards, backward, and sideways calls on many cognitive-motor skills.
Walking lunge
How to do it: Hold a resistance band or jump rope directly above your head with both hands and arms extended. Pull shoulders back (elbows pointed out) to support the back. Lower your legs deeply and step forward with your left foot into a deep lunge position. Then push yourself up with your left foot, step forward with your right foot, and come into a lunge position with your other leg. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 4 sets of 12 reps.
What it does: This movement works almost every muscle in your body. But most of all it strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. And it improves stability in the shoulder girdle while increasing stability and core strength.’
Fast feet
How to do it: Start in a squat position, back straight and buttocks back. Move the feet quickly in place. Every five seconds, drop your chest, thighs, and hips to the floor and then jump back quickly, keeping your feet moving at a fast pace.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 reps of 20 seconds
What it does: It’s a total body workout, with extra attention to speed.
Jumping lunges
How to do it: Extend your left leg behind you, the ball of the left foot touching the ground. Keep tension on your core, and torso upright. Lower both legs until they form a 90-degree angle. Push off explosively with your right leg and jump up with your legs straight. Land gently back into the lunge position. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 4 sets of 12 reps per leg.
What it does: This is a powerhouse exercise that improves core stability and strengthens the hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, and calves. And help to build fitness, endurance, and strength at home.
Shoulder tapers
How to do it: Start in a position on all fours, back horizontal, knees staying off the ground. Lift one hand off the floor and tap the opposite shoulder. Repeat with the other hand. That’s one repetition. Make sure that both the upper body and lower body remain stable.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 sets of 8 reps.
What it does: Shifting your weight in this way puts a lot of demand on core stability and strengthens the shoulders and quadriceps.
Dumbbell press
How to do it: You have a dumbbell in each hand, they rest on your shoulders. The palms facing each other; feet shoulder-width apart. Bend the knees into a squat position. Then come up explosively, stretching your arms above your head. Pause briefly and return to the squat position, with the dumbbells on your shoulders.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 sets of 8 reps.
What it does: It’s a combination of a squat jump and bench press. It strengthens the entire body and improves endurance.
Dumbbell punch
How to do it: Start in a deep squat with a dumbbell in each hand. These rest on the floor, just next to your feet. That is your starting position. Stand up straight, place the dumbbells on your shoulders and lower back to the deep squat. Come up, lift the weights off your shoulders, and return to the starting position. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 4 sets of 12 reps.
What it does: This is a complex movement that involves multiple joints and increases strength and power throughout the body. The emphasis is on the shoulders, core, hips, and lower back.
Alternating dumbbell release
How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with the dumbbells on your shoulders. Extend one arm above your head while keeping the opposite weight on the shoulder. As that arm drops back, press the weight up with the other so they move at the same time. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 4 sets of 12 reps
What it does: This endurance exercise builds core and upper body strength simultaneously.
Push-up with a rowing motion
How to do it: Place a pair of dumbbells shoulder-width apart on the floor. Place your hands on the weights and assume the plank. Do a push-up. Then jump forward with your feet, raise your upper body to a 45-degree angle, back straight to hollow, knees remaining bent. Then pull the dumbbells up to the shoulders, the elbows moving close to the ribs. Place the weights back on the floor and return to the plank position. That’s one repetition.
Recommended sets/reps: 6 to 8 sets of 8 reps.
What it does: This is a compound push/pull exercise – it combines strength and conditioning by transitioning from one position to another.
Suicide sprint
How to do it: Place one cone where you are standing, and two cones six and twelve meters away respectively. Make sure that the surface is flat and not slippery. Sprint to the cone at six meters, touch it, and sprint back to the starting position. Then sprint to the cone at twelve meters and back to the start. Continue sprinting back and forth like this until the time runs out. Alternatively, you can sprint back and forth over one distance.
Recommended sets/reps: 4 sets of 40 seconds.
What it does: Sprinting is an explosive exercise and a high-intensity cardiovascular load. It strengthens the entire lower body and burns fat thanks to the high intensity of the exercise.
Final Words
Now you know, 15 cardio exercises that will help you to build endurance, strength, and overall fitness at home. These exercises not only improve your cardiovascular fitness but also help you burn calories and strengthen muscles.
By including these 15 cardio exercises into your routine, you can achieve significant improvements in overall health and fitness from the comfort of your own home.
