5 Cardio Exercises Besides Running

When you think about fitness or doing some exercise, the very first image that pops into your mind is of a person running in sports shoes or jogging merrily in a nice scenic environment. Well, to a lot of extent, running is regarded as the most basic and fundamental of all the exercises, as it can be done by almost everyone as per their capacity and stamina. It turns out to be a good cardio workout and helps improve your mood as well.

However, on a busy day, when you have got meetings scheduled back-to-back, or you have a whole lot of house chores to be done, kids to be picked up from school, dishes, laundry and what not, running doesn’t seem to be that much attractive any more, since you are already pretty exhausted from the grind of your day. In days like those, you crave some exercises you can do that have equal or at least comparable benefits as running. Well, you can sure consult some certified trainers in this regard, like the ones at Empowa Fitness.  

Moreover, if your feet have a condition like fracture or cramps, running for long distances can be a nightmare for you and absolutely not recommended by your doc and trainer. Also, running in the same place every day, can be a bit of mental drag for you. 

Turns out there are plenty of alternatives available for running, and the experts at Empowa Fitness have shortlisted a few of them for you in this brief article. A good cardio cycle can have a number of long and short rep exercises, but choosing the ones that suit you can be perplexing at times, and to solve this dilemma for you, Empowa Fitness steps in.

• Calisthenics

Talking about your cardiovascular fitness all you need are some weights and those too in the advanced stages. In the beginning you can easily build up your stamina and cardio capacity by some simple calisthenic exercises. Again, you can do calisthenics anywhere, at your work, home, school or wherever. But fixing some basic installations like parallel bars and rings, like those in parks, can really add to the effectiveness of your calisthenic session, as suggested by trainers at Empowa Fitness.  

• Jumping Rope

The very first thing you can do in this regard is to jump ropes as per your comfort and stamina. It is an easy and low impact exercise that you can do at any place you want. Whether you are at work or at home, all you need is a piece of rope and a bit of motivation to get that blood pumping into the veins. As easy as it sounds, it is equally as effective, for several credible researchers have revealed a 10-minute rope jumping session to be equal to a 30-minute jog. Sounds amazing?

• Overhead Carries

Just as the name suggests, you have to pick up any heavy object that you can lift without damaging your shoulder and spine and then carry it around for a few steps. Remember you need to first analyze your lifting stamina and don’t have to compare it with others. Start by small weights and gradually build it up. It is advised to start by carrying weights in only one arm and then engaging both of them once you have gotten a hold of this exercise. Just 1 to 2 minutes into this, and you will be noticing your heart really pumped up. Try this if you haven’t till yet. Believe me, it works!

• Planks

If you want to build your core, there is no better way to do it than planking. Star by planking 5 minutes each day and build this stamina up to wherever you want. Combining planking with some simple upper and lower core movements, like plank jack, mountain climber and army crawl, turns it into a pretty good cardio session.

• Kickboxing

Well, this one’s my favourite! I personally feel so accomplished after having a session of kick boxing in the middle of the day, that I’d suggest you try it as well. Especially for women, I think it works like a charm. All you need is a boxing bag that is readily available at Empowa Fitness or you can make one yourself, and then you need to practice some kicks and punches on it. In fact, the experts at Empowa Fitness also regard it as one of the best and most fun ways to strengthen your core as it allows for a number of movements for your limbs and spine. Plus, it also gets your heart pumping really good, also making it good cardio.

Well, these were some simple exercises you can do at home and at work. Remember these are not intended to replace running from your routines once and for all, as running is also necessary to lighten up your mood sometimes. You can do these exercises along with running or at times when you are not in the mood to run. Do, let me know if you have found them to be helpful to any extent!