Cardio is a great way to improve your fitness and overall health. However, not everyone has the luxury of wide open spaces or sound-proof walls.
So what do you do when you need to get a workout but you don’t want to deal with frequent noise complaints? Well, you try out our Pamela Reif-inspired apartment-friendly, no-jumping cardio workout.
Let’s go through this amazing exercise routine, break down the benefits of adding cardio to your fitness plan, and answer your most pressing questions about this form of exercise.
What Is a Cardio Exercise?
Cardiovascular exercises, also called cardio, aerobic exercise, or cardio-respiratory exercise, refers to rhythmic physical activity that increases the body’s heart rate and breathing rate. Cardio exercise improves circulation and breathing, is great for weight loss, and has a ton of other useful benefits.
Examples of Cardiovascular Exercises
Here are some common examples of cardio exercises:
- Running
- Jogging
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Jump Rope
- Rowing
- Elliptical training
- Stair climbing
- Dancing
- Boxing
- Hiking
- CrossFit
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Benefits of Adding Cardio To Your Routine
Here’s why cardio exercises should be a part of any balanced fitness routine.
Aerobic exercises are effective for weight loss. Despite some recent negative press, cardio is an effective way to lose weight. A typical aerobic exercise session burns more calories than a weightlifting session.
Combining cardio with resistance training is a great way to optimize your weight loss routine by burning calories and building lean muscle at the same time.
Cardio improves sleep. There is solid evidence that exercise improves both sleep quality and sleep duration. Moderate-intensity cardio exercise was found to increase the amount of deep sleep, also called slow-wave sleep.
The mind and body rejuvenate during slow-wave sleep, which explains why regular exercise improves sleep quality. However, the timing is very important. Most sources recommend a 30-minute cardio session about 1 to 2 hours before going to bed for maximum results.
Cardio exercise is great for your mental health. Virtually all forms of exercise are great for your mood and focus, but cardio exercise is particularly effective. Possible explanations include its ability to trigger the release of “feel good” chemicals like endorphins and increase blood flow to the brain.
Another possible answer is the release of hormones like norepinephrine during exercise which helps the body deal with stress, which is why cardio is a great method for relieving stress.
Reduces the risk of heart disease. One key advantage of cardiovascular exercise is its ability to reduce your risk of heart disease by improving heart and lung function, decreasing the level of harmful fats in the blood, and improving oxygen delivery throughout the body.
Researchers have found that about 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week (exercise intensity that allows you to talk but not sing) reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 22%- 25%.
Despite these amazing benefits, cardio exercises are often misrepresented in certain fitness circles. One of the reasons behind this undeserved negative reputation is the rise in popularity of recent HIIT and strength training.
Another reason is that the long-term benefits of cardio exercise are mostly on the inside, while the effects of strength training are more visible.
However, the benefits of cardio exercises cannot be overemphasized and the best way to get the best out of your fitness routine is to combine cardio with other forms of exercises such as HIIT and strength training.
Seven Effective Silent Cardio Workout
Cardio workouts involve a lot of movement, so make sure you’re wearing a pair of comfortable workout footwear and breathable activewear.
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1. Parcel Up & Down – 30 seconds
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands fully stretched above your head.
- Reach down towards the floor in between your legs by bending your knees
- Return to the starting position
- Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.
2. Squat Knee to Elbow – 2 sets, 30 seconds
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart then lower yourself into a squat.
- Stand and lift one knee towards the opposite elbow.
- Return to the starting position.
- Perform this exercise for 2 sets of 30 seconds each.
3. Squat + Arm Circle – 30 seconds
- Start in a standing position with your arms stretched out fully above your head.
- Lower yourself into a sumo squat while at the same time sweeping your arms down and out to meet in the middle between your legs like you are drawing a huge circle.
- Return to the starting position.
- If you want to add a bit of challenge to the workout you can hold a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells.
- Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.
4. Silent Burpees – 4 sets, 30 seconds
- Begin in a standing position.
- Lower yourself into a squat, then lean forward to place your hands on the floor.
- Move both feet back into a plank.
- Return to the squat position and then stand up.
- Remember not the jump.
- Perform this exercise for 4 sets of 30 seconds each.
5. Bicycle Crunch – 30 seconds
- Lie with your back on a comfy fitness mat, hands behind your head.
- Engage your core.
- Alternate bringing your elbow towards the opposite knee.
- Place a resistance band at knee level if you want to make the workout more intense.
- Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.
6. High Spider Plank – 30 seconds
- Start in a high plank position.
- Bring one knee towards your elbow on the same side.
- Return to starting position
- Perform the same movement on the other side.
- Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.
7. Reverse Crunch – 30 seconds
- Lie on your back, hands beside your hips.
- Engage your core.
- Lift your hips off the ground by contracting your lower abs.
- Lower them back down.
- Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.
For more insight, you can check out the video below.
Commonly Asked Questions Regarding No-Jumping Workouts
Is a no-jumping cardio effective?
Yes, this form of cardio is quite effective. Any form of exercise that increases the heart rate and breathing rate at least 50% above the normal for 10 minutes is considered cardio, even if it does not involve jumping.
So monitoring your heart rate with a fitness watch is a great way to keep track of your heart rate during a cardio session.
Can you lose weight without jumping during an exercise?
Yes, no-jumping cardio exercises are a great way to lose weight. The muscles of the legs are quite large, which means they burn a lot of calories. However, there are several other ways to involve your leg muscles aside from jumping. These include exercises like squats, burpees, the high spider plank, and bicycle crunches.
How does cardio affect my body?
Cardio exercises activate your muscles. This means that your muscles need more energy which they get by burning calories.
Your body responds by increasing your heart rate and breathing rate, supplying your muscles with more oxygen and nutrients so they can get the energy they need. This process promotes weight loss and it is healthy for the heart, lungs, and the brain.
Is low-impact, no-jumping cardio good for beginners?
Yes, low-impact no-jumping cardio workouts are great for beginners or people who cannot perform more intensive exercise due to injuries or underlying health conditions.
How long do I need to do a cardio workout for best results?
This depends on several factors like your fitness goals, age, health, and available time. Most medical professionals advise that you perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week on at least three separate days.
If you are a beginner, older than 60, or have underlying health conditions you can start with a 10-minute session and gradually increase the duration as you adapt.
How To Optimize Your Cardio Routine
Add HIIT to your routine. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an exercise technique that involves quick bursts of intense cardio exercise alternated with short recovery periods.
A 20-minute HIIT session burns as many calories as a 45-minute cardio or strength training session, meaning this form of cardio is better at stimulating weight loss and promoting lean muscle growth.
Use your arms. Most people assume cardio only involves exercises like jogging, basting, cycling, stair climbing, and jump rope.
However, you can increase the intensity of your cardio workout by carrying out exercises that involve the arms as well. These include swimming, burpees, and squat with arm circles.
Alternate with strength training. Many fitness enthusiasts argue over which form of training is more effective; cardio or strength training. The truth is that each form of exercise has its benefits and shortcomings, but there is no reason why you can’t combine both.
For example, you can perform a cardio session before your strength training routine or on your off days between your strength training routine. This allows you to enjoy the benefits of both forms of exercise.
Increase the intensity. Just like with strength training, to continue seeing optimal results you have to increase the intensity of your cardio workout regularly.
This is because the human body quickly adapts and becomes more efficient, meaning that it consumes fewer calories when performing that particular level of exercise intensity.
Great ways of increasing the intensity of your cardio workout include adding free weights, Increasing the duration or number of reps during your workout, adding variety by regularly adding new exercises to your routine, or using a weighted jacket.
Conclusion
Low-impact cardio exercises are great for getting your recommended dose of exercise if you don’t have access to a lot of space or have to worry about bothering the neighbors. They’re effective, safe, and silent. Take the leap (without the jump) and let our low-impact, no-jumping, apartment-friendly workout transform your fitness routine.
