Cardio and fun might be two words you didn’t think could go together. After all, the thought of panting on the treadmill might be the last thing you want to do after a busy day. However, running isn’t the only exercise that will make you sweat, and there are plenty of fun beginner cardio exercises that will get you excited about wearing your leggings at home. Elite Daily spoke with celebrity TikTok fitness trainer Brianna Joye about some of the best cardio exercises for anyone looking to start an easy workout routine they’d like to keep up with.
While your mind might head straight to the treadmill and jog when you think of cardio, these cardio exercises are much more fun than that. It’s also for anyone looking to increase the amount of cardio they exercise each week, beginners included. According to Joy, “absolutely anyone can do these exercises,” and many of them are full-body exercises that will raise your heart rate while having some fun.
You can even get your partner or roommate to join you for a cardio party at home each week. Make it even more fun by putting together a playlist of your favorite workout songs to listen to while you try these 11 fun aerobic workouts recommended by Joye. While you don’t have to like every single exercise on this list, you’re sure to find a few that you’ll want to add to your routine ASAP.
This exercise is exactly what it sounds like. You want to alternate kicking your heels to your butt while in place. Instead of running, Joye recommends doing four sets of 20 butt kicks.
Another great cardio exercise that you can do is the squat. According to Joye, you’ll want to start in a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists and your core in place. Once you are in this position, you will need to bend your knees forward and jump up until you are standing. From there, you want to reverse the movement to the plank position.
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High knees and cross jab
This exercise is similar to boxing. You’ll want to perform your knees elevated in place and be sure to bring your knees up to your chest. While doing this, Joy says “Extend your arms out in front of you one at a time” and alternate between “fists on the floor.”
This is a very easy exercise. All you have to do is quickly slide your feet into place with your feet hip-width apart. Make sure your knees are slightly bent. Joy also says that your hands are free to do whatever they like while doing these fast feet. If you want to exercise your arms as well, you can try one of the Joey dancer arm exercises as well.
These jumps are super fun to do. Starting with your knees slightly bent, you want to jump into the air and bend your knees to your chest. Your goal is to go up in your jumps each time, while also keeping your core tight. Just be careful about doing this exercise at home if you don’t live on the first floor.
This exercise is similar to doing a jumping jack while in a plank position. You’ll want to “start with a raised plank” with your shoulders above your wrists, and from there, “jump your feet together and out” for a full set.
Here’s another plank exercise that you can do while listening to your favorite music. From a plank position, put your knees into your chest one at a time as if you were climbing a mountain. Joey also advises mountain climbers to do a good muscle workout.
Make squatting more fun by adding the element of jumping. Joye recommends starting out “as low as possible” with your hips back, and from there, jumping “as high as possible” keeping your hands close to your chest.
This is an exercise that you can easily do while watching some Netflix shows. Just raise your arms above your head one at a time, while standing with your feet wide and your waist tight.
While you are on the ground, you can also try this plank exercise. With your shoulders touching over your wrists and thighs, rotate your hips to the right and then the left.
It would be easy to do these jump starters while watching TV, too. Just start with your feet together and hips back a little before jumping as high as you can and reaching your arms straight in “both directions.”
