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More information 19 Cardio Exercises You Can Do at Home Beginner Intermediate Advanced Tips Safety Takeaway Cardiovascular exercise, also known as cardio or aerobic exercise, is essential for good health. It gets your heart rate up, making you blood pump faster. This delivers more oxygen throughout your body, which keeps your heart and lungs healthy. Regular cardio exercise can also help you lose weight, get better sleep, and reduce your risk for chronic disease. But what if you can’t get outside for a daily run or don’t feel like hitting the gym? There are still plenty of cardio exercises you can do at home. Beginner moves to get you started If you’re new to cardio, these moves will help get you up to speed. High knees This exercise involves running in place, so you can do it anywhere with minimal space. Stand with your legs together and arms at your sides. Lift one knee toward your chest. Lower your leg and repeat with the other knee. Continue alternating knees, pumping your arms up and down. Butt kicks Butt kicks are the opposite of high knees. Instead of lifting your knees up high, you’ll lift your heels up toward your butt. Stand with your legs together and arms at your sides. Bring one heel toward your butt. Lower your foot and repeat with the other heel. Continue alternating your heels and pumping your arms. Lateral shuffles Lateral shuffles increase your heart rate while improving your side-to-side coordination. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees and hips bent. Lean forward slightly and brace your core. Lift your right foot, push off your left foot, and move right while keeping your form. Place your feet together. Continue shuffling to the right. Repeat the same steps to the left side. To evenly work both sides, shuffle left and right for the same amount of space. Crab walk Doing the crab walk is a fun way to get your blood flowing. It also strengthens your upper arms while working your back, core, and legs. Sit on the floor, knees bent and feet flat. Place your hands on the floor under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Lift your hips off the floor. “Walk” backward using your arms and legs, keeping your weight evenly distributed between your arms and legs. Continue walking backward for the desired distance. Standing oblique crunch This cardio exercise is low impact and ideal for beginners. As you lift your knees, you’ll engage the core muscles on your sides. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on the back of your head, elbows pointing outward. Bend to the right, moving your right elbow down and right knee up. Return to starting position. Repeat on the left side. Speed skaters The sideways movement of this exercise mimics how a skater moves. For a challenge, add a jump when you move to the side.