Best Cardio Exercises Of All Time

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Published: May 24, 2022

Do you ever find yourself constantly sitting by the computer in the office, or in your car, being the designated driver to everyone? Your lower back hurt, you feel pain in your neck, and not to mention a constant headache. We have all been there juggling between our job and our house chores and duties. We know how it’s like not having enough time for yourself. You are only going to feel worse day after day if you don’t do something to change your routine. Did you know that a quick yet consistent 20-minute workout at home is all your need to get in shape? Of course, you’ll have to combine home workouts with a good diet to get fit. So, we’re going to help you find the best cardio training for yourself! We want to be of assistance at DubaiPT during your personal fitness journey. That’s why we are about to list one of the best cardio exercises of all time for toning your body or increasing mobility.

Cardio workouts improve your physical condition and overall health

Cardio exercises build up stamina and endurance, both of which are very important if you’re looking to work out professionally or just to stay healthy. Whether you’re working out to stay healthy or you’re trying to get back in shape for a sport, you’ll need to increase resistance. This is why cardio is a crucial part of every workout program. Practicing cardio on a regular basis is one of the most important factors that you need to take into account if wanting to get back in shape. Cardio exercises increase your heart rate and resistance and improve your overall physical condition. One of the benefits is that this constant circulation will provide more oxygen to your muscles and body. Moreover, it will reduce the level of your cholesterol and prevent heart diseases in the long run. Cardio does not simply make your heart stronger. It is known that it can boost your mood, reduce stiffness and pain, manage your appetite, and burn calories.

A young woman doing cardio exercises in the gym
Cardio exercises get your blood flowing and put your body in working mode.

Lose weight and reduce body fat with cardio exercises

In addition to all the health benefits, cardio exercises are essential for all those who are trying to reduce their weight by working out. Cardio workouts raise your heart rate, which causes you to sweat, being one of the best ways to lose those extra pounds. So, if you want to stay fit and shed some weight, get sweaty with the best cardio exercises out there. Something that you need to keep in mind when embarking on your weight loss journey is intensity. As the intensity rises, you will burn more calories. This is why cardio workouts and high-intensity training are perfect for reducing your body fat and even gaining muscles. Depending on your diet, even doing 30-minutes of cardio can help you lose weight. However, you need to be aware that without a balanced diet and proper meal plans made by our nutritionists in Dubai, none of this is possible.

Cardio workouts require a balanced diet with special nutrients

Before you hit the gym or start working out, you need to prepare your body. Many cardio exercises such as running and biking need energy from fat and carbohydrates. If you engage in a high-intensity workout and then slow down or change pace, your body will go back and forth between fat and carbs. Since you are not able to control your body, you need to provide an adequate amount of nutrients. Make sure to include all the following foods in your fitness diet. Before every workout, you should include healthy carbs with a high amount of fibers in your meals. For example: grilled chicken salad, salmon, turkey, cheese, etc. On the other hand, a post-workout meal is essential for refueling energy and helping your muscles recover. One of the options are: chocolate milk, hummus, a turkey sandwich, or a protein bar. Remember, it is essential to refuel your body with a meal or snack after a few hours.

A chicken salad in a bowl on the table
A balanced diet and great choice of foods play a key role in losing weight during a cardio workout.

Bring your body to a place you want to be from the comfort of your home

Our bodies are made to move in order to stay healthy. Not to mention that a heart is a muscle itself. That’s why it needs proper training to sustain all those years of stressing out and poor nutrition. The idea is to make you use large muscle movements over a continuous period of time. Why? Because that will keep your heart rate to a hopefully at least 50% of the maximum level. That’s why you need intense workouts. We have prepared some exercises to help you do your cardio workout at home. That means that you don’t have to set aside a few hours in order to do your daily workout routine. You can do it whenever you find it convenient, but try to do it as often as possible if you want better results. Cardio workout at home will save you time and money, and the best part is – no fancy equipment is necessary. You already have all that you need. There are even some great workout apps to help you and give you more ideas. Now find yourself some self-love and motivation and get to business.

Getting started with cardio exercises

If you are a beginner, then you need to choose an activity you enjoy doing. The activity you’ll really perform, not the one you think is the best for you. Walking is an excellent place to begin because it requires no special equipment and can be done anywhere. If walking is not your thing, anything that includes continual movement will suffice. Cycling, swimming workouts, jogging, aerobics, rowing, climbing, dancing, and other activities fall into this fitness category. Remember that any activity can be challenging at first, so don’t dismiss something just because it’s difficult the first time. It gets easier over time, we promise you that. So stick around and choose the best cardio exercise for you and your body! If you are not sure how to start, you can always ask your friends to join you for a group session.

A woman doing cardio exercises at home
You can use your living room to work out, so no need for excuses anymore.

How to choose the best cardio exercise for your body?

One of the greatest advantages of cardio is that you can practice it anytime, anywhere. For most, you don’t even need specialized equipment. However, different cardio exercises demand various levels of preparedness. Of course, every routine can be adapted to suit your needs – even the toughest ones. So, if you love any of them, let your personal trainer know. They’ll know how to gradually introduce you to a discipline so you’ll remain safe and motivated. All the best cardio exercises of all time don’t require a lot of space. You can do them in the comfort of your home, as well as in a gym or at the park depending on your job. For those that have the whole day to work out, cardio can be built up slowly. Unfortunately, we don’t usually get enough free time to exercise. This is why you should adapt your cardio workout to your lifestyle. You need to be able to make your exercise more difficult as you get stronger. This is the only way to ensure your continuous progress.

Efficient cardio workouts to try for great results

There are a couple of exercises you can use to make your cardio more efficient. If you’re not sure where you should start, you can ask a professional to help you.  It’s easy to find affordable trainers in Dubai and have a few training sessions with them. With someone there to monitor your progress and take care you don’t get hurt, your cardio exercises will bring more results. Even if you do one round of 10 repeats for every exercise, that would be a good start. So, don’t go nuts, start slowly and work your way up to more and more cardio workouts. We are going to divide them into several categories and provide you with the best advice regarding each one of them:

  • high-impact cardio exercises: running, jumping jacks, jumping lunges, HIIT workout, CrossFit, etc.
  • low-impact cardio workouts: jogging, yoga, squats, cycling, swimming, dancing, etc.
  • group workouts: football, Zumba, basketball, karate, etc.
A man getting ready to start running
Running is the obvious choice for cardio exercises, but can become monotonous if not combined with other exercises.

Warm-ups and cool-downs should be part of every cardio activity

Warm-up for 5–10 minutes before each cardio session. To gradually increase your heart rate, begin with some easy cardio. Going too hard or too fast will simply aggravate the situation. Each workout session should also include a cooldown period. Relax and keep your muscles flexible by doing some mild aerobics and stretching the muscles you’ve engaged. Add another day of exercise, increase your pace/intensity, add a new activity, and/or increase the length of time you exercise every 4–6 weeks. Increase your time each week until you can work continuously for 30 minutes at a time. It’s enough if you merely increase by one minute per workout. It’s preferable to take things slowly rather than jump in headfirst. Activate your muscles with a quick warm-up while listening to your favorite song before every training,

Regular runs are ideal to get you moving toward your goals

It doesn’t get any more basic than this. Running is among the best cardio exercises that deliver amazing total-body results. The downside? It gets boring after a while. So, be sure to mix it up. Running at an easy pace helps you build endurance and facilities recovery. This kind of run should be your most common and consist of 60% of your mileage. How much you run depends on your fitness level. If you’re a beginner, strive for 15-20 minutes three days per week, working up to 30 minutes. If you are moderately fit, you can run for 20-60 minutes per day, 5-7 days per week to increase endurance. Choose different routes for your runs to break the monotony.  It’s very important to remember to allow your body to get used to it. Start doing everything slowly and gradually increase the speed of your pace over time.

Women running as part of their cardio workout
For those that have the whole day to work out, cardio can be built up slowly starting with running.

Running in place or up and down the stairs helps burn calories

As we mentioned, long runs can be quite monotonous and often require a certain amount of time. If you live in a building, the stairs can be your best friend. This cardio workout at home will burn you a lot of calories since you’ll be having many intense movements at a high pace. Just make sure to use your hands. For running, but also in the case you miss a step and start falling. That is the only downside of this exercise. But you can avoid it with practice and with running upstairs, not just downstairs. This will not take a lot of your time and you can easily get in shape without leaving our home. Additionally,  jogging in place is a really simple exercise for a cardio workout at home. You can do it anywhere, anytime, and it’s great for warming up before running. It’s good to use it in combination with other cardio exercises, too. You can combine it with high knees and butt kicks.

Jumping rope improves your balance and coordination

Jumping rope tones your body while boosting balance and coordination. Since it requires a lot of jumping (as the name suggests), this cardio exercise builds and tones the most important muscles for jumping – the abs. Yeah, you heard it right, jump rope improves your abs as well as your cardio. While jumping over the rope, make sure to turn the rope with your wrists. Many people make a mistake with turning it with their arms, and you want to avoid that. Don’t jump too high, just enough to clear the rope, and make sure to land softly. This cardio workout at home will burn you 220 calories in 20 minutes. It has one weakness and that is that it has rather limited motion. Your body will quickly get used to it. To battle this, make sure you practice all of the variations of jump rope.

A woman holding jump rope
The humble jump rope is a great cardio exercise for burning calories even at home.

Jumping jacks will tone your muscles anywhere and anytime

Jumping Jacks are an excellent exercise to transition into more difficult routines. A great thing about jumping jacks is that there’s an insane number of variations. So, not only you won’t get bored of it, but you’ll make it viable throughout your training process. You’ll find them to be a staple of any fitness routine out there. No matter when and how you choose to incorporate them, it’s a matter of fact that they are a big part of any fat loss workout out there. The best part is that you can do them anytime and anywhere. You can do jumping jacks while you wait for your coffee to be done. Wide your feet while you jump and circle the arms overhead. In order to avoid getting accustomed to the motion and reducing the workout’s impact on your body, you can alternate between different types of jacks. Side jacks, front jacks, half jacks, you should do them all! Finally, if you want to improve your coordination even further, you should try disjointing the movement of your arms and legs.

A woman stretching up after doing cardio exercises
Never underestimate the importance of stretching! It is crucial for muscle growth and avoiding injuries.

Squat jumps and jumping lunges are great for your lower body muscles

If you want to tone your glutes while also getting your heart rate up, then this aerobic exercise is the perfect choice for you. If you know how to do a squat, then you will just have to add a jump between two reps. But be very cautious of your form – you will want to keep your back straight in order to avoid injuries and activate the parts of your body that ought to work while squatting. Just like the squat jumps, jumping lunges will challenge both your heart and your lower body muscles. Once you are in the lunge position, push off with your foot to lift your knee, jumping in the air while doing so. Once again, jumping lunges can be performed without any equipment. And because of their versatility, they are an important part of any HIIT workout.

A woman doing squats with weights in the gym
To build your glutes, include squats in your workout twice a week, and adjust your diet to include more protein.

High-Intensity Interval Training for those on a tight schedule

High-Intensity Interval Training is among the most demanding disciplines one can adopt. HIIT workout consists of short, explosive bouts of exercises, followed by even shorter breaks. It gives amazing results and is quite fast. However, the biggest advantage of HIIT lies in short training times. This makes it an excellent choice for those on tight schedules. You can get the most out of your training, and still have some time to spare. HIIT is a combination of short, high-intensity bursts of cardio exercise followed by longer periods of rest. For example: 30 seconds to a minute of sprinting, followed by two minutes of walking or slow jogging. You can repeat this cycle for just 10 minutes, and you’ll complete your HIIT workout. It is definitely better at reducing calories and helping you shed those extra pounds.

Crossfit training raises the bar even higher

Did you think HIIT is the peak of the cardio challenge? Think again! Crossfit training raises the bar even higher, pushing you to your limits. And, in doing so, makes you stronger, fitter, and faster. That’s right – Crossfit is time-sensitive, among other challenges. So, this discipline definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Crossfit is an effective workout for building strength, flexibility, agility, and improving your body. Compared to HIIT, CrossFit workouts follow a specific set of repetitions. Additionally, rest frequency is up to your individual needs. The main exercises are: front and back squats, jumps, lunges, dumbbells, and pull-up bars. They are functional exercises that require little or no equipment. Apart from those exercises, mountain climbers can be a part of a professional athlete’s regime. Moreover, they can appear in CrossFit training, and they can be a part of HIIT workouts.

A man holding dumbbells and working out
With only a minor investment, you can start on one of the best cardio exercises such as Crossfit and HIIT.

Climbs are designed to work your entire body

Mountain climbers are a rather advanced exercise that’s designed to work your entire body, with a special focus on your lower extremities. All you have to do is rapidly switch legs, and pull the right knee into the chest while keeping the right foot off the ground. Continue, changing legs quickly and increasing pace. If you want to prepare yourself for this, try stair climbs. Are you a person who avoids the stairs at all costs? Then you aren’t doing yourself and your dream body any favor. In fact, did you know that you can create an entire workout with stairs only? Start by walking up and down the stairs as a warm-up, and proceed to take two stairs at a time at increased speed to really challenge your cardiovascular system.

KB/DB Thrusters will help you build muscles

Along with other benefits of cardio, KB/DB Thrusters are also great for building your muscles. The only drawback is that you’ll need a set of kettlebells or dumbbells. But, seeing how widely available and affordable they are, this isn’t much of a snag. The KB thruster exercise will activate the muscles of your lower and upper body. The kettlebell thruster is not the most difficult movement, however, it’s not simple at all. It requires strength and shoulder stability to press it overhead in an adequate position. Dumbbell thrusters are one of the most beneficial exercises since they engage a full-body movement. They help improve coordination, balance, and muscular endurance. By working the quadriceps, shoulder, and gluteus, you will see results in no time. You can even perform these cardio exercises at home without going to the gym.

A woman exercising in the gym
Dumbbells are amazing for strength training, especially for improving muscle force and flexibility.

Burpees are one of the hardest exercises without equipment

Burpees could very well be the most infamous cardio exercise of all time. That’s precisely what makes it one of the best cardio exercises to do at home – it really gives results as it gets your heart rate up pretty quickly. They are extremely demanding and taxing. As such, they take an avid amount of stamina, balance and coordination. Therefore, they are best suited for those already well into their training. You will need to squat to the floor, then stretch out your legs in a plank position. As soon as you get there, you should jump back in and stand up. It will burn you more than 100 calories in 10 minutes if you have the energy for that much. Be very careful, because this exercise won’t feel good if you have low blood pressure. In case you have mastered burpees in their basic form, you can increase the complexity of the exercise by using a Bosu ball.

Bear crawl engages both your legs and your arms

If you are looking for the perfect exercise that can be done with no equipment, then this is it. Apart from yoga exercises, the bear crawl is a full-body exercise that will hit all of the major muscle groups in your body. You start in a pushup position, all the while keeping your knees bent and off the ground. Crawl forward by making simultaneous leg and arm movements and keeping your torso level and abs supported. Moreover, this exercise works the chest, shoulders, glutes, quadriceps, and core. If you continue to do bear crawls regularly, you can build endurance and total-body strength. Step up the pace with your bear crawl exercises, making it a worthy contribution to a HIIT workout training you are already part of. It might look difficult in the beginning, but we promise you that it will get easier over time.

A woman exercising indoors
Incorporate burpees and crunches into your everyday routine and the results won’t be far behind.

You can benefit from strong shoulders by doing inchworm exercises

It doesn’t matter whether you are a man or a woman – strong shoulders are something you need. And that’s precisely what the inchworm exercise will give you. If you were to ask any of our personal fitness trainers in Dubai, they would all tell you that inchworm is a full-body exercise that puts special stress on your shoulders. Additionally, it is very effective for stretching out your calves and your hamstring muscles. And what makes it one of the best cardio exercises to do at home is its simplicity. Start standing by reaching your arms down toward the ground, walking your hands away from your feet, and entering a plank-like position. Then continue stepping your feet forward and finally returning to a standing position. Continue the inchworm-like crawl for time or repetitions. 

Rowing delivers amazing total-body results in no time

Rowing can define cardio exercises that deliver wonderful total-body results. Since it engages virtually every part of your physique, you can even consider it self-sufficient. It is a bit one-sided, since all you do is “row, row, row your boat”. But, with such awesome pay-off, it doesn’t really matter. A workout of about 20 minutes can give you a full-body workout leaving you feeling great for hours. Rowing is a total-body exercise, that will strengthen major muscle groups in your legs, arms, and core as well as increase cardiovascular resistance. If you consistently exercise using the rowing machine, you’ll see that you’ll become stronger and less out of breath, as well as muscle gain results. With that being said, exercising while using a rowing machine in the gym will promote burning calories. If you are on your weight loss journey, this is a great contributing exercise to cycling and running.

Gym full of equipment and machines for working out
If you are starting to suffer towards ending your workout, machines can help you to continue training safely.

Zumba is an amazing all-around workout regime

If you want a fun yet completely effective exercise that will get your heart rate up, just crank up the volume. Dancing is one of the finest workouts out there. Hey, have you ever seen what a dancer’s body looks like? And the best part is the fact that you can actually burn calories while listening to your favorite music. Who knows, you might end up liking it so much that you decide to hire a personal Zumba instructor in Dubai. You could discover that you have a real passion for dancing. And even if you don’t, you’ll still experience the confidence boost that one of the best cardio exercises to do at home can give you. A wide range of motion, dynamics, variety – you name it, Zumba has it. And, of course, fun, fun, fun! Call your friends and relatives and join this amazing group workout session.

Football trains your resistance and cardio fitness

Football skills and movements are part of physical activities that assist you to become more coordinated and toned. You may perceive football as a universal and simple sport. However, as well as being a sport with a ball, it trains your endurance due to the repeated running during the match. Usually, adults will cover up to 15 km during a football match. When practiced or played regularly, your football matches and training sessions will turn your cardio and breathing even better and stronger. Depending on the position you are in as a football player, you’ll be progressing and accelerating without no time to breathe. These sprints will improve your strength as well. Moreover,  football players tend to burn more calories during the match when compared to their regular workout training. So, use this amazing weather and engage in this sport.

People playing fotball outside
This constant running during a football match always keeps your heart rate high.

The most effective way to workout is cardio boxing

Cardio boxing can aid you in increasing speed and resistance, burn more calories, and allow your body to get you into a phase where you feel more physically and mentally fit. While you will notice the physical results quite soon, it takes a time to perfect boxing skills. Every punch your throw comes from the lower part of your body and core, not just your arms. Boxing uses a mix of hitting the bag with constant cardio movements and shadowboxing such as burpees, high-knees, push-ups, etc. that will improve your strength and teach you to balance your heart rate. Challenging your muscles to grow while releasing lactic acid tones the shape of your muscle instead of bulking them up. Getting into the ring, you will burn more calories per hour than in any other sport. In just one hour of boxing, you can burn up to 900 calories.

Karate is a great way to stay in shape and move your body

Karate training has been proven to be advantageous to the cardiovascular system. Physical inactivity and the development of coronary artery disease have a clear correlation, In middle-aged and older persons, there is a link between the quantity of karate training or any exercise conducted per week.  The intensity of activities varies constantly during karate training. There are periods of intense activity followed by periods of inactivity. As a result, developing both aerobic and anaerobic abilities is critical for a karate student. Students of martial arts can gain muscle mass and become more toned in general. Punching and kicking need a lot of strength, and they put a lot of strain on your arms, legs, and core. Don’t be afraid and think that this sport is not for you. Every activity deserves a chance, so try it out and you will be satisfied in no time.

A woman practicing karate outside
Karate can be effective and useful for both real-life fighting situations and self-defense.

Swimming is a full-body workout that begins the moment you jump in the water

It’s summer and you know how Dubai can get very hot these days. The best way to refresh yourself and continue your fitness journey is to go swimming. How about getting a nice refreshment and burning some calories with a great cardio workout in the swimming pool? A simple technique to burn calories in the water is swimming and doing cardio exercises in the pool. You can do a few laps, then a water-treading interval, and then repeat the process. If you are a great swimmer, try swimming workouts as quickly as you can for as long as you can. If you’re not a confident one, try swimming intervals. That means that you should swim as quickly as you can down the pool’s length and back, then swim slowly for the same distance. For the length of your workout, alternate these periods.

Cycling or using stationary bikes aid in burning calories

Most gyms have stationary bikes, and you will see a lot of people in line to start using them. Interval training on a stationary bike is a terrific technique to burn the most calories in the shortest amount of time. Maintain a high level of intensity on the intervals for a few minutes, then ease off for a minute or so, repeating these intervals as long as you can. On the other hand, cycling in Dubai is a great opportunity to lose some weight and enjoy the beauty of the city. Recovery is crucial. Consume carbohydrates and protein after a ride to completely refuel. Don’t expect to lose weight more quickly if you don’t eat. You will simply become weak and vulnerable to illness. Also, make sure to go for slow and easy recovery rides. Use this amazing weather and explore the city of Dubai.

A man swimming in the water
During a swimming session of around 30 minutes, you can burn around 250 calories.

Mix it up and take it slow with all cardio exercises that deliver amazing total-body results

The key to effective cardio is alteration. Yes – even with cardio exercises that deliver amazing total-body results. Whether you are performing exercises to lose belly fat or simply to stay in shape, your body gets used to a certain pattern. And that routine will start bringing diminishing results. So, check in with your personal trainer to create a well-rounded exercise regime. That way, you’ll keep progressing at a steady pace, while avoiding getting bored or demoralized. Most importantly – do not rush the process. As with anything, getting into shape takes time. Building up your body should be a safe and controlled process, not a race. Remember, it’s always better to be safe and slow than fast and unsafe.

 

A woman exerising at the beach
Take it slow and steady, remain persistent, and you will start seeing results.

Cardio workout – more than getting into shape

Cardio is at the very core of various fitness regimes. It impacts your overall wellness and delivers excellent total-body results. Physical activity will boost your energy level by generating endorphins in your body, which provide you with more sustained energy throughout the entire day. After a long and stressful, struggling to fall asleep is the last thing you want to experience when it’s time to hit the bed. So, grab your gym clothes and sneakers, start a cardio workout, and you’ll not only strengthen your immune system but your entire body. That being said, a cardio workout has many health benefits, so it’s never late to get started. We hope that you can choose the best activity for your body and mind that will help you to see the body transformation you have always desired. Simply follow these directions and get the best of these exercises!

 

 

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