Cardio that you can do when you're stuck inside (Winter)

Marathon sex sessions.

Jump rope, run up and down stairs if you have them, jog around the apartment, bench press Frankie and Blue simultaneously.

I tell myself that shoveling the snow is good cardio. It hasn’t really inspired me yet.

Well, I painted a mural yesterday, and I feel like I ran a marathon. Maybe not cardio, but it was a lot of stretching and squatting.

Play Wii games. That Zumba game looks like fun. I’m considering picking it up.

I already do yoga (not cardio, but burns roughly 300 calories). The stairs are an option (as is weightlifting the kitties). Marathon sex can happen on the weekend, when I’m with my partner, haha.

Go to YouTube and search for “Leslie Sansone.” This trainer has an entire series of walk-at-home workouts. You can start with her very basic Part 1 and move along to several 5-mile versions.

I’ve tried some of these workouts and, yes, they’re challenging and effective.

I may pick up some of those exercise bands. Already have an exercise ball and weights.

Thanks, everyone!

@PaulSadieMartin, I like her youtube videos. May give it a try.

Aerobic kickboxing. I use DVD’s, but I’m sure you can find something on YouTube.

Dancing.

There’s always the world’s fastest workout:

• Squat thrusts (20 seconds)
• Rest (10 seconds)
• Mountain climbers (20 seconds)
• Rest (10 seconds)
• High knees (20 seconds)
• Rest (10 seconds)
• Jumping jacks (20 seconds)
• Rest (10 seconds)
• Repeat once

It takes four minutes, spikes your metabolism for 12–36 hours, and forces your body’s aerobic and anaerobic capacities to adapt and improve rapidly. Just remember that you have to go all out for each 20 second interval—and watch as how much you can do going all out increases over time!

There is always Tabata
You need a 20 second timer.
Harder than it looks.

I dance. Really badly. I mean, turn on whatever music that makes you really want to move and just… you know, dance. I always end up jumping on the couch or my bed, it’s fun.

@Mama_Cakes I highly recommend @Judi‘s link. The workout I mentioned is one possible Tabata routine, but the video she linked is another possible one. Moreover, the user’s channel has several other possible Tabata routines that you could rotate so as to avoid plateauing.

@Judi – I particularly like the shirt removal at the start….

@Bellatrix Sounds like just watching the video provided you with a bit of cardiovascular activity.

:-) Well it added a bit of inspiration to watch what followed! Was this 4 minute workout the idea behind your suggestion?

@Bellatrix Yes, @Judi and I both suggested Tabata routines. She linked to a video of one, I wrote out a description of another. It’s a really great way to start the day.

Clothing optional.

Cleaning. And, I have a treadmill.

You’ve tried Kinect dancing? It’s very enjoyable and fun and really exercises the whole body.

Excellent question! .. the cold bothers me a lot due to certain problems I have regulating temperature (neurological) bad times.

I liked the suggestion of sex. It is amazing for cardio. If you have a SO that is.

My suggestions would be invest in either a treadmill or you can buy a mini indoor trampoline which is really good.

Then of course there are exercise bike’s etc..

However, if you mean a free way then I suppose press-ups, jogging on the spot? , ab workout etc. .. anything with a mat.

Also, there is a conception that that kind of resistant training is not cardio (this is false)
anything that makes the heart pump faster and stronger is basically cardio (and the muscles will draw more oxygen, increasing lung capacity and also will burn more fat in the long run due to two reasons:

1. more muscle mass will increase you metabolism and energy requirements from your body making you burn fat faster and more efficiently
2. there is a fat burning effect after exercise that lasts all day and I believe more energy goes to the muscle mass instead of being stored as fat.

quite simple really.

hope I have helped.