No-equipment cardio at home that doesn't feel like cardio
Cardio does not need a treadmill. Jumps, squats, side-steps and punches, done continuously, raise your heart rate as well as most machines — the hard part is keeping going. Games solve that part.
The movements that do the work
- Jumps — the quickest way to raise your heart rate.
- Squats — big muscles, big demand.
- Lateral steps — work the legs in a direction most routines ignore.
- Punches and arm swings — upper-body cardio with no impact on the joints.
A 15-minute no-equipment session
- Warm up, 3 min — Swim: long arm strokes.
- Legs, 5 min — Move Rush and Squat Rush, alternating rounds.
- Upper body, 5 min — Boxing and Slash.
- Cool down, 2 min — Penalty Hero at an easy pace, then stretch.
Low-impact options
If jumping is not for you, Slash, Boxing and Swim need no jumping at all, and Slash can be played sitting down.