The Best Short Cardio Workouts For When You’re Short on Time

A cardio workout is another name for an aerobic workout, which is exercise that is fueled by oxygen, and that uses large muscles continuously in a rhythmic motion. It’s also incredibly healthy for you. You can start reaping the major health benefits of this sweat sesh immediately by adding short cardio workouts to your exercise regimen. Benefits of Short Cardio Workouts Aerobic exercise has been shown to have many health benefits. It’s great for your ticker and lung function with the power to lower blood pressure and your resting heart rate. If that’s not enough, it also has some amazing anti-inflammatory abilities. According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and one of the primary risk factors for it is inactivity. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get your cardio on! What Are Some Cardio Exercises? Moderate-intensity cardio exercise can include: Quick walking Swimming Dancing Gentle cycling Vigorous-intensity cardio exercise can include: Running More rigorous cycling Sports There are also high-intensity anaerobic exercises that can provide you with similar cardiovascular benefits, such as HIIT (high intensity interval training), sprints, SIT (sprint interval training, more on this later!) and Tabata. RELATED: 3 Short HIIT Workouts To Improve Your Fitness and Save You Time How Much Cardio Should I Do Each Week? The American Heart Association recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week. This breaks down to about 30 minutes of moderate intensity workouts five days a week, or 15 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise five days a week. You might not have time to get in a 30-minute aerobic workout every day, but the good news is that you can get essentially the same cardiovascular benefits from a shorter workout that is more intense. Research shows that shorter, higher-intensity workouts can elicit many of the same benefits as longer-form moderate-intensity exercise. Elevating Your Heart Rate During Short Cardio Workouts The key to adding intensity to your short cardio workouts is to make sure that you are properly cranking up that heart rate. The recommended heart rate for a moderate-intensity workout is about 64% to 76% of your maximum heart rate. The recommended heart rate for vigorous-intensity workouts is 77% to 93% of your maximum heart rate, and the recommended heart rate for high-intensity intervals is 85% to 95% of your maximum heart rate during the interval periods. Here is how you can calculate your estimated target heart rate for your workout: For moderate-intensity cardio: 220 minus [your age] multiplied by .64 to .76 (64% to 76% of your max heart rate). For vigorous-intensity cardio: 220 minus [your age] multiplied by .77 to .93 (77% to 93% of your max heart rate). For high-intensity intervals: 220 minus [your age] multiplied by .85 to .95 (85% to 95% of your max heart rate). You can measure your heart rate with a smart watch or chest strap, or manually by placing two fingers on a pulse point on your neck or wrist. Start a timer on your phone or watch, measure how many beats you feel in 6 seconds and then multiply that number by 10. This number will give you your heart beats per minute. Pro tips: Make sure to check with your doctor before starting a cardio workout program, especially if you have a diagnosed heart condition or are at high risk for heart disease. And don’t forget to warm up! Engage in light movement such as jogging in place or walking lunges for at least five minutes before starting your workout. This helps prepare your body for movement and prevent injury. 9 Short Cardio Workouts that Work Here are nine short cardio workouts that will get your heart pumping! 1. Shorter Cardio Workouts Three 10-minute sessions of moderate-intensity cardio The U.S. exercise guidelines recommend that you engage in moderate-intensity exercise for about 30 minutes a day. If you don’t have time to exercise for 30 minutes continuously, you can always break your cardio workout into three 10-minute sessions. This could look like a 10-minute walk or jog before work, again at lunch and another at the end of the day. 15-minute vigorous-intensity cardio You can engage in your favorite cardio workout such as running, cycling or swimming for 15 minutes, five days a week as long as you keep your heart rate between 77% to 93% of your maximum heart rate. 2. Sprints One way to increase the intensity of your cardio workout (and therefore decrease the time needed to see the benefits), is to add speed work to them your workouts. Sprints are a form of interval training that can elicit the same heart-healthy benefits as longer-form cardio workouts. There are a couple of common methods for adding sprints to your workout. Note: If at any time you feel chest pain, uncharacteristic breathing difficulties or feel dizzy or faint, stop the workout and call your doctor. Fartlek Fartlek is a Swedish running term that translates to something along the lines of “speed play.” Fartleks involve intervals of moderate- and high-intensity movement and have been shown to improve V02 max, a measure of cardiovascular fitness. Fartleks are usually performed in running or cycling. 19-minute Fartlek workout: 5-minute warmup walk / light jog 3-minute jog/cycle at moderate intensity (64% – 77% of your maximum heart rate). 1-minute run/cycle at a high intensity (85% – 95% of your maximum heart rate). 3-minute jog/cycle at moderate intensity. 1-minute run/cycle at a high intensity. 3-minute jog/cycle at a moderate intensity. 1-minute run/cycle at a high intensity. 2-minute cool down jog SIT You have probably heard of HIIT, but have you heard of SIT? SIT stands for sprint interval training and involves very short bursts of movement followed by slightly longer periods of rest. There is evidence that these sprint workouts deliver many of the same cardiovascular benefits as longer, moderate-intensity workouts. 22-minute sprint workout 5-minute warmup 30-second sprint, at max exertion 2-minute rest

How Much HIIT Is Too Much HIIT?

Interval-based workouts are popping up everywhere. Popular chains like Orangetheory, personal trainers, and fitness influencers have all embraced the superrrr sweaty style of training. In fact, fitness pros voted HIIT (yep, that’s high-intensity interval training) one of the top fitness trends for 2020, according to a recent survey by the American College of Sports Medicine. If you haven’t heard, HIIT workouts generally combine bursts of intense exercise (lasting from a few seconds to a full minute) with rest or less intense exercise for the same amount of time. An entire HIIT workout can be as short as 20 minutes, making it a great option for those who don’t have much time to exercise. Importantly, HIIT also doesn’t require any exercise equipment, making it ideal for those who want to break a sweat outside or at home. Jump squats, burpees, and plyo lunges all make regular appearances in a HIIT workout. If that sounds tiring, it is! RELATED: How to Do a Perfect Squat Any other benefits of HIIT? Uh-huh, plenty. HIIT workouts have been shown to improve heart health and VO2 max, along with blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. And all that hard work leads to a quick calorie burn in a shorter time frame. Studies are still being conducted to truly understand how much HIIT can help in reducing body fat, but HIIT has shown to burn body fat similar to long endurance exercise. Great. What’s the problem? While there are guidelines for vigorous exercise, there are no guidelines for HIIT. A recent study from Les Mills set out to find the limits of HIIT in order to prevent overtraining, and the findings might surprise you. During the study, 35 people who exercise eight or more hours per week recorded their heart rate and mood for three weeks. At the end of the three-week training period, they performed two high-intensity workouts four hours apart. Researchers monitored their heart rates and took saliva samples prior to each workout, immediately after, and 30 minutes post-exercise to assess cortisol and testosterone levels. The findings: Researchers saw a correlation between high-intensity training and the variables associated with overtraining (fatigue and reduced athletic performance) and concluded that people should limit themselves to 30 to 40 minutes of HIIT each week. The NL bottom line on HIIT First off, this is a very small study, so we need more research to confirm these findings. And you should also be honest with yourself about your effort; you might not be working out as hard as they did in the trial. (No shade—just the truth! People in the study worked at 90 percent of their max heart rate.) To estimate your max heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Then, use that number to establish your 90-percent max, monitor your fitness tracker, and dial it back accordingly.  On a similar note, study participants did these workouts just four hours apart. Typically, people have at least a 24-hour window between sweat sessions, and adequate recovery is super important if you want to perform—and feel—your best. RELATED: Find the Best Massage Gun for Your Muscle Recovery Needs So, if you truly love high-intensity workouts like bootcamp and boxing, just make sure to listen to your body (injuries are still a factor!), take rest days regularly, and keep an eye on your heart rate to prevent overtraining. Oh, and if you hate HIIT? Go ahead and consider this your excuse to say “nope, thanks” to all those burpees. Anyone up for yoga? (Photo: Shutterstock)