Hi there! Hope your week has been cruising along nicely and you are almost ready for the weekend! It’s hard to believe, but we’ve already reached the end of February! As a way to raise awareness of heart health month, I’ve been focusing on cardio workouts.
So we’ve talked about running and cycling as great cardio workouts a lot this month but there’s one format we haven’t given much attention to yet, and that’s body weight workouts! (Which happen to be one of my favorites!)
Body weight workouts
Not all of us have access to a gym on a regular basis or prefer not to complete cardio on a machine, which is where body weight cardio comes in. While technically running falls into this category, my primary focus is on stationary cardio that can be done in your house.
What is a body weight cardio exercise?
Using just your body to increase your heart rate and strengthen your heart and lungs. Often called plyometrics, body weight cardio can improve your strength, balance, and flexibility. Utilizing the goals of increasing your speed and power, plyometrics train the muscles to work explosively and improve overall athletic performance. Perfect for athletes looking for repeated jump training or increased power and speed. The best part of body weight cardio? All you need is yourself!
What is an example of a plyometric exercise?
- Body weight squats or squat jumps
- Lunges or lunge jumps
- Jumping jacks
- Mountain climbers
- Burpees
- Donkey kicks
- High knee runs
- Butt kick runs
- Tuck jumps
- Vertical jumps
Ready to try a plyometric workout? Look no further! Here are few of my favorites. As always, consult your doctor before making any major lifestyle changes and please do not hesitate to let me know if you have questions!
