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Cardiovascular exercises remain one of the vital tenets of a well-rounded workout regime. Cardio exercises are not only excellent for heart health but they also burn calories, boost endurance, and reduce stress. The increased heart rate and breathing improve the efficiency of the cardiovascular system and enhance overall well-being.
When it comes to choosing what type of cardio exercise you want to do, things can get a bit tricky as there are hundreds of cardio workouts one can practice. From running and cycling to HIIT workouts, you can opt for multiple cardio workouts depending on your fitness level. In this blog, we’ll help you get started with cardiovascular exercises for beginner, intermediate, and advanced fitness levels.
Beginner Cardio Workouts
If you consider yourself a beginner fitness enthusiast, you can start with the following cardio workouts.
Brisk Walking
A perfect cardio workout for beginners is brisk walking. It is low-impact, gentle on joints, and can easily be incorporated into your daily routine. Start by walking at a comfortable pace for 20-30 minutes a day, gradually increasing the duration and speed as your fitness improves.
Cycling
Whether it's stationary cycling or biking outdoors, cycling is a terrific cardio workout for beginners. It strengthens leg muscles and helps improve cardiovascular endurance. Begin with short rides at moderate speeds. Once you get the hang of it and your strength improves, you can increase the duration and speed to challenge yourself further.
Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is a fun and effective way to get your heart pumping without much equipment. With just a pair of easily available skipping ropes, you can improve coordination and burn calories rapidly by practising rope jumping. This is a great exercise for beginners since it can be done anywhere.
Intermediate Cardio Workouts
If you fall in the intermediate fitness level category, the following cardio workouts are for you.
Running
Running is a classic cardio exercise that can actually be adapted to any fitness level. We’ve added this to the intermediate level since it requires a bit of stamina to run for longer durations. Whether you're jogging or sprinting, running helps increase cardiovascular capacity and burns a significant number of calories. You can choose to run on a jogging track or use the treadmill for a similarly effective cardio workout.
Swimming
Swimming is a full-body workout that is very gentle on the joints and burns a lot of calories. It engages multiple muscle groups and improves lung capacity. Although it involves a learning curve, we strongly recommend learning swimming since it is not only a life skill but will also help you keep yourself fit.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
HIIT workouts comprise short bursts of intense activity with brief rest periods. It is an excellent way to burn calories and improve cardiovascular fitness in a quick time. You can incorporate exercises like burpees, jumping jacks, and mountain climbers into your HIIT sequence.
Advanced Cardio Workouts
If you’re a seasoned fitness aficionado, you can go for the following high-intensity cardio workouts.
Stair Climbing
Climbing stairs may seem easy but when you consider it as an intense cardiovascular exercise, it can be a lot challenging. Stair climbing targets leg muscles and improves strength and endurance. If you have access to a stairwell or a stair machine, incorporate it into your routine for an advanced cardio workout.
Combat Sports: Boxing/Kickboxing/Mixed Martial Arts
Combat sports like boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts can be highly effective cardio workouts that improve strength, endurance, enhance mobility and agility, and boost your cardiovascular health significantly. Combat sports may be considered an advanced cardio workout since it requires months of training to master the moves. If you’re looking to challenge yourself with an intense workout and learn a combat style, then you can definitely try your hand at combat sports.
Your workout routine should have some form of cardio exercise at regular intervals to ensure that your fitness sequence covers all aspects of improving your body. Choose from the above cardio workouts based on your fitness levels.
If you’re looking for the best way to incorporate cardio activities into your routine, then download the FITPASS app and start looking for the best cardio gyms in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and other metro cities. With our AI-led smart fitness assistant FITCOACH, you can also get highly personalized fitness routines based on your fitness level, goals, and preferences.
