We get it. For some people, the treadmill is like the Bounty in the gym equipment selection box.
Whether it’s the monotony of the movement, the annoying sound of the belt, or that funny feeling you get in your knees, it’s enough to put you off cardio altogether. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s plenty of equipment you can use to get your heart up without stepping foot on the belt.
What counts as cardio?
First of all, what counts as cardio? The technical answer is anything that benefits your cardiovascular health.
In real-life terms, that means anything that increases your heart rate and gets your blood pumping. Jogging, swimming, and cycling are the obvious examples.
What are the benefits of cardio?
When you do cardiovascular exercise, your body makes loads of important changes that improve your health.
1. Your heart gets bigger
2. You can pump more blood around the body
3. Your rest heart rate reduces
4. You can pump oxygen around the body better
5. Efficient calorie burn that can lead to weight loss
All this serves to make you feel fitter. You can do more without getting tired, and your overall endurance increases.
How to include cardio without the treadmill
There are loads of different ways to include cardio in your workout routine without stepping foot on the treadmill. Once you’ve uncovered the excitement of circuit style training, you’ll be able to form a routine that gives you much more motivation.
The golden rule is: get your heart rate up.
Anything that does this is considered cardio and can be used as part of your workout. Some other important rules include:
1. Don’t use heavy weights. When you’re lifting heavy weights, you’re training for strength and need to focus on technique and form, not speed.
2. Switch it up and do loads of different exercises if you usually find cardio boring. There’s no need to stick with one thing.
3. Choose short and intense periods of exercise. Or longer and more moderate periods. Or a mixture of both. The choice is yours.
Five forms of cardiovascular exercises with no treadmill
The Assault Bike
Anyone who has spent more than 30 seconds on an Assault bike knows that it’s a killer. The harder you pedal, the greater the resistance gets, so you’re definitely doing cardio, but you’re also training the muscles in your legs, arms, and core too. There’s no time to get bored with a session on here. Try doing an interval workout that includes 30 seconds of pedalling, followed by 60 seconds of rest.
Battle Ropes
The battle ropes are a really simple bit of equipment that requires a massive bit of effort. With a rope in each hand, create alternating waves with the ropes. Again, it’s cardio, but it also engages your upper body, back, abs, glutes, and legs. Combine the battle ropes in a circuit with other resistance exercises for a full-body and cardio blast.
The Stair Master
It may seem pretty retro and maybe even a bit boring, but the stair master offers loads of variations. It’s a way to avoid exercise that’s too intense if that’s something that puts you off. As you climb, you can introduce variations like double steps, step and lifting your knee, or step and kickback. It’s a great cardio workout and effective for the lower body too. Your glutes won’t know what hit them.
The Rowing Machine
The rowing machine is getting more and more popular. It’s going to get your heart rate up and is also hailed for using 84% of the total muscles in your body. Distance sprints or just straight out rowing, this machine is guaranteed to get your heart pumping and uses a full range of motion without impacting the joints.
Jump Rope
It might transport you back to primary school, but the jump rope is a fantastic way to get some cardio in without stepping foot on a treadmill. It also allows for a quick transition to other exercises, so you can include it in a fast-paced workout as a way to increase the intensity. If you’re keen to improve your coordination and agility, the skipping rope is a brilliant tool to help you do that. Just be careful to land softly if you have troublesome joints.
Bodyweight Exercises
There’s no need to rely on equipment to get your cardio in. Bodyweight exercises are a way to do high tempo movements that improve your heart health without risking any injury to your muscles.
You can build yourself a quick and easy circuit by sewing together the following in any form you like.
1. Mountain climbers
2. Jack touches
3. Walkouts
4. Squat jumps
5. Toe taps
Aim for 45 seconds of each exercise, followed by 15 seconds rest. Try and do the circuit up to 5 times for a 25-minute workout that is guaranteed to improve your cardiovascular fitness.
If you’re ready to test out your new approach to cardio, then use Hussle to get unlimited access to multiple gyms in your area. Take it one day, or one month at a time.
