Keep Your Heart Healthy at Home With Cardio Steps
By Sandy Schroeder
We all know we need regular cardio exercise for the health of our heart, but it's not always easy to fit the right workouts into the day.
WellAndGood.com responded to the problem with some quick-step moves at home that might be easier to fit into your day. Check with your doctor first, and then give these step-in-place routines a try.
You can get cardio exercise at home with quick and easy moves. Getting your heart rate up, exercising your lungs, and activating your whole body falls right into place when you turn on the music and start stepping in place.
Start with a march - Walk in place, lifting your legs halfway up to your waist and breathe deeply. Swing your arms as you move. Think about how you look and get into the spirit of it.
Do some high steps - Walk in place, lifting knees all the way up to the waist as you breathe deeply and stand tall keeping shoulders back, head up, and core in place.
Start doing sidesteps - Move your right leg to the right and follow with your left. Then move your left leg to the left and follow with your right. These sidesteps will keep you limber and work on any stiffness or pain you may be having.
Add a squat to the mix - Move your right foot forward and do a half squat. Follow with your left foot and return to your original position. Reverse the process moving forward with the left and doing another half squat. This is a good exercise for your glutes.
Other Ways to Go
As always, check with your doctor first when you add new exercises.
- Use a set of stairs - Make the stairs a focus and gradually increase your effort.
- Set the incline on your treadmill - Challenge your muscles and stimulate your heart as you gradually increase the incline.
- Condense a workout - To get a more intense workout, add more moves and decrease the time in-between each set.
- Insert short bursts in exercise - When you are swimming, biking, or walking, add some short bursts of faster movement to turn it into a cardio exercise.
- Add a dancing session - Move the furniture and loose rugs and clear a spot at your house for dancing. The music will set the pace and you can follow.
Whatever you choose in cardio exercises, start gradually, clear your workouts with your doctor, and monitor your body's reaction to avoid overdoing it.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Irvine, Calif.