Cardio fitness, better known as endurance training, covers every kind of exercise, with or without equipment, that raises your heart rate and gets your pulse up.

Not only is it fun, it also has plenty of positive effects on your body. You strengthen your cardiovascular system, build muscle, increase your lung capacity, boost your immune system and get more oxygen to your brain. Many people believe cardio can only be done at a gym on outrageously expensive machines. That's a widespread myth. There are plenty of exercises you can do at home that are just as effective and will get you in shape. We'll show you how.

Cardio workout

General Tips for Getting Started With Cardio

Getting started is the hard part – except with cardio. You only need to keep a few things in mind and you can start training. Make sure you do the movements correctly to avoid injury and get the most out of your workout. Good posture when standing and sitting is essential to protect your back. To make your endurance training a success, you need a training plan. You can find free ones to download online. To get you started, we've put together a few basic exercises.

Jumping rope is one of the most proven and also oldest cardio exercises, and it's especially popular in boxing. A rope is cheap and you can train anywhere. By combining speed, rhythm and coordination, you improve your fitness and boost your calorie burn. The exercise is easy to fit into your routine and delivers quick results.

Cardio Workout: Jumping Jacks

You probably remember this one from childhood, and it's simple and effective to do. The large range of motion warms up your joints and tendons. You can do it anywhere and you don't need any equipment. Start standing with your feet together and your arms resting at your sides against your thighs. Jump and spread your legs while raising your arms toward the sky. Jump again to bring your arms and legs back to the starting position. Ten minutes of this exercise alone burns up to 100 calories.

Cardio workout

Burpees are without a doubt the fat burners among cardio exercises. The move combines a push-up, a squat and a jump, and works your glutes, legs, shoulders, back, chest and core. In the starting position, bend your knees and lean your upper body forward so that you're supporting yourself with your palms on the floor. Next, jump both legs back into a push-up position and do the push-up. Finally, jump both feet forward again into a squat. Then stand up or jump up.