Does the thought of spending another minute working out on a treadmill or elliptical machine have you singing the blues? As a physician and fitness buff, I understand your need for variety. You may have spiced up your treadmill workout doing intervals, but you’re still ready for a change. The good news is there are lots of other ways to get a heart-pumping cardiovascular workout that doesn’t require you to spend another minute on a treadmill or elliptical machine. Plus, it’s a good idea to shake up your routine and challenge your body in a new way. If treadmill and elliptical boredom has set in, try some of these alternative ways to get an effective cardiovascular workout.
Skip Rope
Do what boxers do for cardio. Get out your jump rope. Turn on some music, and jump rope for 20 minutes. A twenty minute jump rope session burns between 200 and 300 calories depending upon the intensity. You can even turn jumping rope into an interval workout. Jump slowly for a minute. Then skip as fast you can for 30 seconds. Alternate between fast and slow intervals. It’s a workout that builds endurance while increasing coordination and agility. Try jumping rope for 30 to 60 seconds between strength-training sets to boost the number of calories you burn.
Sprints
Look at the body of elite sprinters, and it’s easy to see how sprinting can get you ripped. When you do a sprint workout, you get the benefits of a longer cardio session in less than half the time. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that participants who sprinted for only 15 minutes over a two week period more than doubled their cardiovascular endurance. Sprinting activates fat-burning hormones such as growth hormone and creates more of an after-burn than steady-state running so your metabolism stays elevated for hours after a workout.
To do a sprint workout, warm up and then sprint for 30 seconds while giving it your best effort. Recover by walking for 2 minutes. Repeat the sequence. Start by doing 4 sprint intervals and gradually increase the number as you become more conditioned. If you’ve always done steady-state cardio, you’ll see your endurance increase and your body fat drop when you start sprinting. It’s a short, challenging workout, but it delivers results.
Kettlebells
Kettlebell workouts are the ultimate metabolic training workout. They boost your heart rate and activate fat-burning hormones while strengthening the muscles in your upper body and core. Kettlebell moves basically consist of sequences of swings, clean and press and kettlebell snatches. Learn the proper way to do the swing and snatches by watching a video. Then reap the benefits this dynamic type of metabolic workout offers you.
Bodyweight Cardio
You don’t have to run, cycle or swim to get an effective cardio workout. You can do it using only your own bodyweight. The key is to do each exercise circuit-style with no rest in between. Choose five exercises, and do each for 60 seconds without stopping. Repeat the circuit as many times as you can.
Some exercises you can include in bodyweight circuit include push-ups, frog jumps, jumping jacks, triceps dips using a chair, squat jumps, prisoner lunges, side shuffles, mountain climbers and burpees. The key is to minimize rest so you keep your heart rate up. The variety makes this workout go quickly.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a cardiovascular workout that has the added benefit of improving coordination and balance. The dynamic punches and kicks you do during with a kickboxing routine burn up to 350 calories in a single 30-minute session. Kickboxing is also a good stress reliever. You can learn kickboxing using a DVD in the comfort of your own home. It’s a fun way to add variety to your cardio workouts.
The Bottom Line?
Step off the treadmill and give these five cardio alternatives a try. They’ll add variety to your workouts and keep you motivated better than mindlessly moving your feet on an elliptical machine.
References:
Journal of Applied Physiology. 2005 Jun;98(6):1985-90. Epub 2005 Feb 10.
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