You’ve heard everyone tell you that cardio is good for you; and finally, you’ve decided it’s time to start.
They’re right. Cardio is great for you, whether you want to lose weight, gain more energy, or just improve your overall health and wellbeing.
And the good news is that it’s not that difficult to get started. You don’t need to start by running five miles every day or doing hill sprints. There are plenty of beginner-friendly ways to develop better cardiovascular fitness.
Keep reading and we’ll share our top exercises (plus some additional tips) to help beginners start training cardio the right way.
Why Everyone Should Do Cardio
You may not like cardio. Perhaps you’ve just started out, and find cardio exhausting.
Or perhaps you’re working out primarily for muscle growth, and you don’t want to dedicate part of your workout to exercises that aren’t designed to help you grow big pecs and biceps.
But everyone should do cardio. There are just too many benefits to ignore it.
Cardio:
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Strengthens your heart
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Reduces risk of chronic diseases
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Improves lung capacity
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Improves stamina and energy levels
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Boosts circulation
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Enhances mental health
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Strengthens your immune system
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Burns fat
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Supports bone and joint health
You’re not going to lose your gains if you do 15 minutes of cardio before or after lifting weights. And if you’re new to working out, and feel like cardio is torture, just know that the benefits are worth it.
What Counts as Cardio?
Realistically, any kind of exercise that increases your heart rate helps boost cardiovascular function.
Lifting weights and yoga have cardiovascular benefits – maybe not as much as running or cycling, but still more than sitting on the sofa.
But generally, we can think of “cardiovascular exercise” as any activity that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated for a sustained period, particularly if that’s the primary goal of the exercise.
When you realize just how many exercises, or even everyday activities, count as cardio, you’ll see how easy it is to start a healthy habit of cardiovascular exercise.
Get Started With These 10 Beginner-Friendly Cardio Exercises
Running, cycling, jump rope and HIIT are just a few examples of effective cardio exercises.
However, if you’re not ready for high-intensity cardio, that’s totally fine. There are so many ways to slowly build up your fitness and condition your body, that don’t require a high level of fitness, and that don’t put a ton of stress on your joints.
Just pick from one of these exercises (or mix it up if you want) and start building the habit that will lead to a healthier and more active life.
1. Walking
If you can’t run, try walking.
Walking is essentially the same as running, just at a lower pace. It’s a great way to improve your cardiovascular health, and is low impact, accessible, and easy to do anywhere.
If you have access to a treadmill, try slowly increasing the incline as your fitness improves. A steeper incline will make your heart work harder, and give you more of a workout, while remaining safe and low-impact.
2. Rowing Machine
Rowing is an excellent cardio exercise (great for full-body conditioning too) in general. But it’s also a good fit for beginners.
First, because it’s low-impact, safe on the joints. It also helps you burn fat across your whole body. And you can go totally at your own pace, so there’s no need to over-exert yourself.
3. Elliptical
The elliptical machine is another type of cardio that’s often recommended for beginners.
Like the rowing machine, it’s safe on the ankles, knees and hips, and fairly easy for beginners while still providing the workout you need to get results.
4. Swimming
Swimming, again, is an amazing cardio exercise for all levels.
The resistance provided by the water makes swimming more taxing on the body than it seems, and it’s actually a sneaky good way to build muscle, as well as burn fat and increase cardiovascular health.
You’ll find that just being in the water and moving around provides cardiovascular benefits already, before you start to increase the intensity.
5. Recumbent Bike
You might have seen a seated bike machine, next to the regular upright bikes in the gym. This is a recumbent bike, and it’s perfect for anyone recovering from injury or new to exercising.
It’s less work, and less strenuous than the regular stationary bike, with your back supported as you pedal. But you’ll get a good workout, and you can always increase resistance or speed to increase the benefits.
6. Bodyweight Exercises
Any kind of bodyweight movement is perfect for beginner-friendly cardio.
You could do squats, jumping jacks, push ups, crunches. Even planks, though you’re not moving, will get your heart rate up and improve cardiovascular health.
7. High-Rep Weightlifting
All weightlifting has some cardio benefits. But if you want to focus more on cardio than gaining muscle, do low weights for high reps, at a high pace.
This is a great way to boost cardio, conditioning and muscular endurance at the same time.
8. Dancing
Dancing is fun, creative, and great for burning calories and boosting cardiovascular health.
Whether you join a class, follow an online dance cardio workout, jam along to your favorite beats, or just freestyle, you can easily find yourself burning a ton of calories without realizing you’re actually working out.
9. Hiking
Hiking combines cardio with the benefits of getting out in nature.
The scenery distracts yourself from the fact that you’re exercising, and many people will find it a more engaging way to stay consistently active.
10. Stairs
Find yourself out of breath walking up the stairs? Good!
Walking up and down stairs is a great way to get fit. The difficulty is a sign of growth.
A stair workout can be the perfect opportunity to fit a cardio workout into a busy schedule. Just find a set of stairs close to home or at work, and walk up and down for just 5-10 minutes and see your cardiovascular health, stamina and leg strength go through the roof.
Extra Tips for Effective Cardio Workouts for Beginners
If you’re just starting out with cardio, take these tips on board as well to maximize the benefits and hopefully build a long-term fitness habit.
Start slow
There’s no need to train for the Olympics right away. Don’t feel any shame in starting slow, whether it’s a slow walk on the treadmill or a casual row. It’s better to start light, and gradually increase the pace over time, than burn yourself out by trying to go too hard too fast.
Pick an exercise you like
While we can debate over what the “best” cardio exercise is, the real answer is whichever exercise you find it easiest to stick with.
Don’t think you have to run, or you have to use the elliptical, even if you hate it. Prefer dancing? Swimming? Boxing? No problem. Do what’s most likely to keep you motivated.
Stay hydrated
Cardio is sweaty work, especially when you’re not used to it. Make sure you drink plenty of water, and replenish your electrolytes after a tough workout.
Be consistent
The most important piece of advice is to be consistent.
One or two days of intense cardio won’t make much of a difference. But a short, light cardio session, done every day, will.
It’s much more important to be consistent and build a long-term habit than to go as fast and as hard as you can over a short space of time. Make this your primary goal. Even if it doesn’t feel like you’re working out that hard, consistency will always deliver results.
