So here’s the situation (tell me if it sounds familiar): what you want is a butt-kickin’, heart-pumpin’, fat-meltin’ cardio workout where you don’t need any special equipment other than your body… and what you got is long days, busy nights, and so much traffic you’ve started to become friends with your daily commuters. So, what do you do when you just don’t have the time to hit the gym before or after work – not to mention all the peripheral tasks that go into a typical gym experience – driving, looking for a parking space, getting in, showering, etc? Doesn’t sound like much, but all those extra little tasks really do add up. And if you’re short on time (I know most of us are), going to the gym just becomes a hassle!

But have no fear, because we’ve got the solution to your cardio conundrum: the ultimate at-home cardio workout! Getting your heart pumping and your body moving is so much easier when you’re doing it in your jammies, right in your living room. ‘Great’, you’re thinking, ‘now all I need is a $17,000 treadmill and I’ll be ready to go.’ But what if I told you that all you need to get the best cardio workout at home… is just yourself! With these exercises, you’ll be able to really work up a sweat, burn calories, and melt fat using no equipment at all.

Burpees

We’re starting tough to kick start your heart! Burpees are the ultimate HIIT exercise. This powerhouse move works your arms, back, chest, core, glutes, legs, and yes, your heart!

The Technique:

• From a standing position, get into a squat, feet shoulder-width apart
• Place your hands on the floor and kick your feet back into a plank position
• Tap your belly to the ground (this is optional, but adds a good challenge)
• Reverse the motion, jumping your feet forward back to your squat
• Jump into the air (or just return to standing position)
• Do continuous burpees for one minute, rest for one minute, repeat for ten minutes

Mountain Climbers

These efficient compound exercises work multiple muscle groups while giving you a great at-home cardio workout. Not only that, they’ll improve your mobility and range of motion.

The Technique:

• Start from a push-up position, with your arms extended straight and legs extended behind
• Draw the right knee into your chest, planting the ball of your foot directly under your hip
• Extend leg back to the previous position
• Perform the same exercise with the left leg
• Repeat for 60 seconds, rest for one minute, repeat until exhausted

The great thing about squat jumps is that you combine the all-around core power of the squat with an explosive jump that is sure to burn those calories. These exercises work your upper and lower body, while boosting your explosive power – a necessary element of sports like football, tennis, and sprinting.

The Technique:

• From a standing position, go into a squat, feet a little wider than hip-width apart
• Spring into a jump, as high as you can
• Land softly back into a squat, careful to absorb the shock gradually
• Repeat until tired (can be incorporated between other cardio exercises)

Kickboxing

Ready to unleash your inner Van Damme? Of course you are. The beauty of kickboxing is threefold: intense cardio that you can do at home; it requires no equipment; and most importantly – you can get out all of your day’s frustrations with some perfectly aggressive punches and kicks.

The Technique:

• For punches: utilize jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts
• For kicks: push kick, side kick, roundhouse, back kick
• Remember, for both punching and kicking, extending limbs completely can cause injury or strain to joints

Pilates 100

Not all cardio workouts involve a lot of big movements. When Pilates came around, it showed the world that less can definitely be more. And the Pilates 100 is a perfect example of that. Oh, and if you think of this exercise as more of a core workout than a cardio one, just try it.

The Technique:

• Lie on your back, with knees and hips bent 90 degrees
• Keep your hands by your side
• Lift head, shoulders, and upper back off ground
• Pulse arms, taking long deep breaths (inhale ten counts, exhale ten counts)
• Repeat movement (allowing for needed breaks) for 100 arm pulses

Well that’s it, you crazy cardiophiles. Jump on that workout and let us know how you feel, (we’re thinking…sweaty). And, if you’re ready for tons of at-home workouts to boost your cardio, strength, and fitness, sign up for a 7-Day Free Trial with Studio SWEAT onDemand. You’ll have total access to our huge library of onDemand fitness classes, including Spin, TRX, HIIT, Kickboxing, Yoga, Pilates, Barre, and oh so many more. And the best part: all our classes feature REAL people, doing REAL workouts, and getting REAL results. So don’t wait, sign up now, and let’s get that cardio cookin’ – right from your casa!