Cardio exercises are also known as cardiovascular or aerobic exercises. It is beneficial for health as it increases your heart rate and makes your heart pump faster, delivering more oxygen throughout your body, specifically the heart and lungs [1]. Making aerobic exercise a regular part of your life can help you lose weight, sleep better, and reduce the chances of developing certain diseases [2]. This article can help you exercise at home if you do not feel like going out and hitting the gym. Some easy and beginner cardio exercise moves are described below to help you get started at home:

• Lateral shuffles: lateral shuffles improve both side-to-side coordination and heart health. It is an easy move. Keep your feet hip-width apart, push your left foot while lifting your right foot, moving it to the right. Place your feet together and repeat the move while shuffling your feet.
• High knees: it is like running in place, so it can be quickly done if you have minimal space. You need to stand with your legs together, raise one knee to the chest, and then the other. Continue alternating this move.
• Butt kicks: keep both your feet together. Now, bring the heel of one foot up close to your butt, then the other foot. Now keep alternating the two. It is beneficial for muscle strength and cardiovascular health [3].
• Standing oblique crunch: this is the easiest and ideal exercise for beginners. It strengthens your core muscles and increases blood flow.
• Toe taps: it is an easy exercise that can be performed at home using the staircase. It is a low-impact but beneficial exercise. Stand in front of the staircase step and place one foot on top of it. Now bring the other foot on top while putting the first one down. Continue alternating the feet. When you get used to it, add a little complexity by moving right or left while tapping your feet.
• Jumping jacks: This move involves your entire body, strengthening the musculature [4]. Keep your legs together while your arms are on the sides. Bend your knees, jump, and spread your legs, keeping them wider than your shoulder width. Keep repeating.
• Crab walk: it strengthens your core, back, and limbs while improving your cardiovascular health. It is a fun way to increases blood flow to your body. Sit on the floor with bent knees and flat feet. Now place your hands on the floor under the shoulders with your fingers directing towards the feet. Lift off your hip from the floor and walk backward with four limbs like a crab. Ensure that your posture does not change while walking. Set a goal and walk backwards towards it.
•  Speed skaters: this exercise move mimics the movements of a skater. Keep your knees bend, keeping your right leg diagonally behind your left leg. Move your right leg forward while pushing off the left leg. Continue skating sideways.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5389877/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6557987/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737866/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31671215/

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