Of course you know one way to rev up your heart rate in your bedroom. But for those times when you don’t have a gym partner, there are other ways to get a legit cardio workout in a relatively small space. Try all or any combination of these moves below to break a quick sweat and boost your metabolism when you lack the motivation to go to the gym. Stick with each move for 30 to 60 seconds, then move on to the next exercise.
1. Heel Kicks:
How to:
- Bend both elbows to a 90-degree angle.
- Stand on your right foot as you kick your left heel back toward your butt and bring your right arm forward.
- Then drive your right elbow backward and bring your left arm forward as you hop to your left foot and kick your right heel back to your butt.
- Continue to alternate arms and legs.
Where you’ll feel it: Your hips and quads.
2. High Knees:
How to:
- Bend each elbow to a 90-degree angle.
- Stand on your right foot as you lift your left knee to hip height and bring your right arm forward.
- Then swing your right arm backward and bring your left arm forward as you hop to your left foot and lift your right knee to hip height.
- Continue to alternate arms and legs in quick succession.
Where you’ll feel it: Your quads, butt, and core.
3. Alternating Reverse Lunge With Cross-Body Punch:
How to:
- Stand with both feet together and your hands in fists at chest level.
- Keeping your left knee behind your left toes and your shoulders stacked over your hips, take a large step backward with your right foot and lower down into a reverse lunge.
- At the same time, twist your upper body toward the left and punch diagonally across your chest with your right fist.
- Turn back to centre and bring your right fist in toward your chest, as you push into your left heel and come up to stand with your feet together.
- Repeat on the opposite side, this time stepping backward with your left foot, twisting toward the right, and punching diagonally across your chest with your left fist.
- Turn back to centre and come up out of the lunge to complete one rep.
- Continue to alternate sides, punching toward the front leg’s side.
Where you’ll feel it: Your quads, hamstrings, and butt, plus your core, arms and back.
4. Reverse Lunge Knee Pump:
How to:
- Start with your feet together.
- Take a large step back with your right foot.
- Keeping your left knee behind the left toes, bend your front knee and lower your body straight down toward the floor until your front thigh is nearly parallel to the ground.
- With a soft bend in the elbows, bring both arms straight overhead.
- From this position, press into your left heel as you straighten your left leg, bring your right knee in toward your chest, and swing both arms down toward your sides.
- Return to starting position to complete one rep.
- Continue for up to 60 seconds, then reverse legs and repeat for the same amount of time on the opposite side.
Where you’ll feel it: Your butt, quads, hamstrings, arms, and core.
5. Sumo Squat Jumps:
How to:
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulders-width apart and point your toes about 45-degrees outward.
- Keeping your shoulders stacked over your hips, reach both hands down toward the floor as you bend your knees to lower your torso straight down until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor.
- From this position, press up through the soles of your feet as you extend your legs and jump straight up.
- Land lightly with soft knees and your feet in starting position to complete one rep.
Where you’ll feel it: Your butt, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
6. Mountain Climbers:
How to:
- Get into push-up position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
- From this position, engage your core as you drive your left knee in toward your chest.
- Place the left foot back on the ground in push-up position, then drive your right knee in toward your chest.
- Continue to alternate in quick succession.
Where you’ll feel it: Your core, back, chest, and legs.
7. Standing Mountain Climbers:
How to:
- Stand on your right foot as you lift your left knee to hip height and drive your right arm straight up into the air.
- Then release your right arm and drive your left arm straight up as you hop to your left foot and lift your right knee to hip height.
- Continue to alternate arms and legs.
Where you’ll feel it: Your legs, butt, and core.
8. Lateral Lunges With High Knee Hop:
How to:
- Stand on your left foot and bring your right knee in toward your chest as you drive your left arm up for balance and drive your right elbow behind you.
- From this position, step your right foot out to the side and bend your right knee to lower into a side lunge as you drive your right arm forward for balance and bring the left elbow behind you.
- Press into your right foot as you alternate arms and extend the right leg to lift up out of the lunge.
- Bring your right knee back in to your chest to complete one rep.
- Continue lunging to the right for up to 60 seconds, then lunge to the left for the same amount of time.
9. Alternating Toes Shuffle:
How to:
- Stand with both feet together and bend your knees about 45 degrees.
- Bend both elbows and bring both hands up near your chest.
- Keeping your chest high and body low to the ground, lift your right heel up off the ground, as you drive your left hand up.
- Then release your right heel and lift your left heel up off the ground as you reverse arms, this time driving your right hand forward.
- Continue to alternate in quick succession.
Where you’ll feel it: Your calves, quads, and core.
10. Knee Drives:
How to:
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulders-width apart and your weight in your right foot.
- Drive both arms straight up over you right shoulder. Engage your core as you bring both arms down toward your left hip, and lift your left knee in toward your chest.
- Return to starting position to complete one rep.
- Continue for up to 60 seconds, then repeat for the same amount of time on the opposite side.
Where you’ll feel it: Your core, arms, and legs.
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