If you’re not feeling like you want to spend an hour at the gym — there’s a fix for that. Fifteen minutes of cardio in your bedroom can help you maintain your fitness routine when you’re feeling tired or don’t have an hour to spare.
Working on strengthening your body and improving flexibility will benefit you as you age and prevent a lot of health problems in the future. Engaging in cardio workouts gets your heart rate up and strengthens your heart to protect you in the future from heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Making it a point to add exercise to your daily routine no matter where or when is extremely important to leading a long and healthy life.
At-Home 15-Minute Cardio Workout
Let’s get going on the cardio workout you can squeeze in anywhere and at any time! Whether you do it when you wake up or after brunch, your heart (and mind) will thank you.
Warm-Up Session
Start by jogging in place for two minutes to get your muscles ready.
Main Workout
Perform the following exercises for one minute each.
- Mountain Climbers: In a high plank position, twist to bring your right knee to your left elbow and bring it back. Explosively keep switching sides to perform the exercise.
- Jumping Jacks: Stand tall with your hands beside you. Explosively jump out and raise your hands overhead, followed by jumping back in and lowering your arms. Repeat this movement as quickly as you can.
- Squat Jumps: Standing with your feet about six inches apart, lower down to squat and quickly jump up as high as you can. Upon landing softly, squat to repeat the exercise.
- Squat Jacks: Like a jumping jack except you lower down to squat and jump up by extending your arms overhead simultaneously.
- High Knees: Standing with feet hip-width distance apart, explosively lift your left leg to bring your leg knee up as high as your hips and then the right. Repeat this exercise switching legs each time.
- Flutter Kicks: As you lie on your back, lift and extend your legs up to a 60-degree angle and then start to flutter your legs up and down by switching sides each time.
- Jumping Lunges: Bring your right leg in front and bend your right knee to stack it above your right ankle. Your left leg will be extended out back, with a slight bend in your knee. Place your hands on your hips and quickly jump your right leg back and your left leg forward to lunge. Continue to quickly jump lunge while switching sides.
- Lateral Jumps: Stand with your feet together and bend your knees to jump to the left and then to the right.
- Plank Jacks: In a high plank position, jump your legs out and in at a fast pace.
- Burpees: In a high plank position, perform a push-up, then step both feet to bring them to the outside of your wrists. Explode into a jump and bring your arms overhead to clap. Quickly get back down to perform another push-up and repeat.
- V-Ups: As you lie on your back, extend your arms and legs out. start to lift your arms and legs and lift your chest and thighs to bring your hands to touch your toes. Slowly release and repeat.
- Football Runners: Standing with your feet hip-width distance apart, bend your knees and bend forward to prepare. Quickly start to jog as fast as you can as you swing your arms back and forth.
Cool-Down Session
Keep your chest lifted and slow down to perform post-workout stretching exercises for one minute.
Workout adapted from fitness.blender.com.
