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How to Get Pumped About Cardio, Plus 13 of My Favorite Cardio Workouts

Ashlee

Do you feel a hot flash of guilt and dread when you hear the word “cardio?”

If so, you are not alone, my friend! Often times we think that in order to do “cardio,” we must run or bike or do something painful, long, and monotonous for the workout to “count.”

If you find yourself in this boat, fret not. I have great news! Cardio can be fun, enjoyable, and an activity you start to CRAVE. I know because I’ve experienced that transformation for myself.

To help you get excited and find cardio activities you enjoy, I’m going to run you through what cardio can do for your body and mind, show you how much you need, give you a list of different cardio activity ideas, and provide a linked list of my favorite cardio workouts.

Sound peachy? Let’s dive on in!

How cardio can bless your mind and body

I love strength training, but when it comes to feeling pumped and generally GOOD in my body and mind, cardio wins for me. Don’t get me wrong, strength training is a vital part of your exercise routine. But what I love about cardio is that I feel good pretty immediately following a workout.

Here are just some of the amazing benefits of cardio exercise:

  • Increased aerobic ability. AKA we can move faster and longer. When we engage in cardio regularly the COOLEST thing happens inside our cells. Our body adapts by literally creating more energy powerhouses (known as mitochondria)₁ so that we literally can improve our aerobic ability.

  • Ever experienced or heard of runner’s high? As you exercise, “ physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals, that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed, and less anxious.”₂

  • Mental health improvements: “Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.”₃

  • Improved immune system function. The least underrated system of the body (in my humble opinion) is the lymphatic system. Movement gets your lymph flowing so that it can help you stay healthier! “Like the drains in your house, the lymphatics are fundamental to filtering away waste products from the day-to-day running of the cells…. and our lymph is nourished by movement…as little as 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise is enough to… give a beneficial boost to lymphatic flow…” ₄

  • A stronger and healthier heart, which helps to reduce blood pressure.₅

  • Weight loss and maintenance (note it’s also very important to couple this with a healthy diet)

  • Better sleep. “Exercising improves sleep for many people. Specifically, moderate-to-vigorous exercise can increase sleep quality for adults by reducing sleep onset – or the time it takes to fall asleep – and decrease the amount of time they lie awake in bed during the night. Additionally, physical activity can help alleviate daytime sleepiness and, for some people, reduce the need for sleep medications.”₆

  • The list of chronic diseases and aches and pains that can be prevented by cardio is a mile long. From diabetes to low back pain to cancer. For a full list, check out this article by the Mayo Clinic.

So now that we’ve ironed out some of the life-giving benefits of cardio, let’s talk numbers.

How much cardio do I need?

In another blog post, I said, “The CDC recommends adults get at least 150 min each week of moderate physical activity, 75 min of vigorous exercise, or a combination of the two.

Basically, if moderate intensity is your jam (think brisk walking), you want to get at least 30 minutes 5x a week. If you prefer higher intensity, you can get more done in less time!

That breaks down to only 15 minutes a day for 5 times a week! Or you can do a combo of the two. (i.e. moderate cardio for 100 min in the week and vigorous cardio for 50 min).”

Here’s an infographic from the CDC that can help make this clearer:

Or if you want to skip all the confusion, you can use this free FREAKING AWESOME exercise activity planner to help you map out your exercises and how much time is needed to hit the recommended amount of cardio for each physical activity. Also note, If you are new to cardio or getting into the swing of working out, start small! Consistency beats intensity, always!

Are you feeling motivated to get your heart pumping? I hope so! Now that we’ve talked about how much you need, let’s go over some different ways you can get your cardio on!

There are so many ways to get into cardio

If you don’t like cardio, I don’t judge whatsoever! But I would challenge you to try some different forms of cardio! Chances are, you just haven’t found an activity you like yet. Keep looking, maybe your cardio soul mate is waiting just around the corner. Cardio is limitless, so don’t hate on her just because you hate running. There are so many choices.

Here are some cardio ideas you can try!

  • Pickleball

  • Dance

  • Just Dance : You can play the actual game, or you can literally look up YouTube videos and just follow along. I promise you will laugh. It’s a lot of fun.

  • Mountain Bike

  • Ski/Snowboard

  • Road Bike/Indoor Bike

  • Elliptical

  • Stair master

  • Treadmill

  • Tennis

  • Dodgeball

  • Racquetball

  • Basketball

  • Walk

  • Volleyball

  • Football

  • Soccer

  • Martial Arts

  • Box

  • Kickbox

  • Swim

  • High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

  • Barre

  • Hike

  • Long Distance Running

  • Interval Running or Sprints

  • Zumba

  • Follow along to workout videos on YouTube, Peleton, etc.

I used to enjoy running in the sweet fresh air but now it’s a lot more challenging with small children. Instead, I often follow along with workout videos. I love cardio videos because I can easily do them at home, for any length of time. Plus, there are so many options!

And so…

In no particular order, here are 13 of my favorite cardio videos

I hope that by sharing this, you can have one less barrier to getting your workouts in.

There you have it, friend! You now know everything you need to get your body grooving with cardio. I hope you are super excited and find a cardio activity that you truly enjoy. If you want to learn about strength training exercises, check out my free beginner weight-training workout!

If you liked this post about cardio exercise, you may also like these posts:

Sources:

₁ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4478283/#:~:text=Aerobic%20exercise%20has%20long%20been,intrinsic%20mitochondrial%20function%20(15).

₂ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389#:~:text=Physical%20activity%20stimulates%20various%20brain,and%20improve%20your%20self%2Desteem.

₃ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/

₄ Immunity: the Science of Staying Well by Jenna Macciochi, p 202

₅ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045206#:~:text=Regular%20exercise%20makes%20the%20heart,This%20lowers%20blood%20pressure.

₆ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity/exercise-and-sleep