5 quick cardio workouts to help keep the pounds off this winter

Life has a way being so busy it seems some days it’s hard to accomplish everything on our to-do list. I know that when I have to prioritize my day my fitness is usually the first thing that gets taken off my list.

I’m a firm believer though that even just a quick 20-30 minute workout of some sort can and will make a difference to your overall health. Getting in a workout doesn’t always mean you have to take a trip to the gym, there a lot of ways to get in a quick workout in the comfort of your own home. Another great reason to workout at home if you have a spouse and kids is that they can all get involved too.

Here are 5 quick cardio workouts and 5 great products that will keep your fitness regime part of your day or week.

Gold’s Gym Door Gym System with DVDs

Gold’s Gym is a popular chain of fitness centres but they also offer a line of workout equipment great for use at home or on the go.

This Gold’s Gym Door Gym System with DVDs will give you a total body workout and only requires a door to use. It’s designed to hang from most standard doors and includes resistance bungees, hand straps, and ankle straps. The resistance bungees come in four levels of resistance to fit your fitness level. There’s an easy to follow DVD to help get you started and you can chart your workouts and progress on the exercise chart included with the system.

To get a cardio workout, incorporate the Gold’s Gym Door System into a mini circuit routine. Choose 3-5 exercises such as a 2 minute jog on the treadmill, a 30 second sprint, jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups and bicep curls and rotate through each exercise to get your heart rate up and a quick workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Gaiam Restore Strong Back Stability Ball Kit

I think so many households have a stability ball in them by now. They’re great for your fitness but they also make a great chair for the home office. They work on balance and strengthening your core while you work.

This Gaiam Restore Strong Back Stability Ball Kit can be incorporated into so many of your fitness exercises. It’s a 65 cm ball that comes with a pump and 3 full downloadable workouts.

One of my favourite ways to incorporate strength training with my cardio is to run laps around the block behind my house with a pit stop in my backyard every 3 laps to do a core workout on my stability ball.

PVL Essentials Power Up Pre Workout

One of the ways I talk myself out of my workouts is by being too tired at the end of the day. A pre workout can help fuel your body to give you the energy you need to power through the workout.

This PVL Essentials Power Up Pre Workout is an all natural formula made up of amino acids, power nutrients, lactic acid buffers, electrolytes, alkalizing nutrients and antioxidants. As its name suggests you take it before your workout and comes in a delicious raspberry flavour that mixes easily in water.

A pre-workout will come in handy right before a cardio workout. There are some great DVD’s on the market that will give you a cardio workout on a time constraint and if you’re feeling like a fun workout then why not dance your way to a healthy heart with this Tracy Anderson: Dance Cardio Workout.

NordicTrack Exercise Machine Floor Mat

Exercise machines are heavy and may slide around a little while in use so why not protect your floors with this NordicTrack Exercise Machine Floor Mat. Not only will this mat help stop scratches and marks on your floors but it will also help reduce noises and vibrations when your machines in use. This will be especially handy if your exercise equipment is on the second floor or if you live in an apartment building.

It’s made from durable vinyl and measures in at 42”X 84” which is plenty large enough to fit under most treadmills, bikes, weight benches and more.

Treadmills are always a good option to get in a cardio workout. You’ll start with a jog and as you strengthen your cardio you’ll be able to run longer and faster, but I would also try intervals for a good fat burn. This means you jog at a comfortable pace for about 5 minutes or whatever works best for you, followed by a sprint. The sprinting is difficult so maybe you’ll start with a 5-10 second sprint and increase the sprint time as you increase your fitness level.

PurAthletics Neoprene-Covered Dumbbell

Dumbbell’s are a great way to start incorporating strength training to your fitness regime. You can start out with 3 lb ones like these PurAthletics Neoprene-Covered Dumbbell and slowly add more weight as you gain strength. I like to have a variety of weights at home because my strength varies depending on the muscles I’m working on.

I love the neoprene covered weights because they’re easy to grip and won’t slip out of your hands when you start working up a sweat.

To incorporate weights into a cardio workout I like to put the treadmill on an incline as if I was hiking and then hold a 3 lb in each hand. As you hike swing your arms back and forth. I find this motion also gives you momentum to keep going as your legs start to burn and want to quit out on you.

Even on your busiest days it’s nice to try to squeeze in a workout to keep your health in check and sometimes to help keep your sanity. Exercise is a great stress reliever and will even help you sleep better at night. I also find having some key fitness products at home give me the motivation to work out on days when I don’t make it to the gym or the local trail for a hike.

Check out bestbuy.ca for these products as well as a huge variety of fitness and exercise products.

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