Six Types Of Cardio That Don’t Involve Running

By Jane Sandwood

If you want to lose weight, you need to do two things; cardio and healthy eating – but what if you hate running?

If you do hate running, you’re not alone; more than 80% of US adults do not meet the national guidelines for aerobic exercise. However this is having a serious effect on our country; today almost 40% of middle-aged Americans are obese, and it is entirely possible that this number will continue to rise.

If you want to lose weight but you hate running, don’t worry. There are lots of other types of cardio that will also help you to lose weight while burning muscle!

Here are six types of cardio that don’t involve running.

Exercise Bike

A workout on an exercise bike can help you to lose weight and burn muscle – and you don’t even need to leave the house to do so! A study from Duke University also found that the resistance training aspect of cycling will help to build lean muscle, and the high impact cardio will help to burn belly fat. This is great for people who want to lose weight, and there are even a few extra benefits; the cardio will also help to improve your mental health and help you to sleep better.

Indoor Rowing

A rowing machine is also a great way to burn calories. This is because every stroke on a rowing machine uses about 84% of the muscles in your body, so it is a very high impact activity. Make sure to sit up straight with your abs held tight if you want to get the most from the workout, and try to work out at least three times a week so that you see results.

High-Intensity Interval Training

HIIT is a very popular form of cardio that can burn up to 600 calories per hour. The workout involves exercises like lunges, sprints and speed skaters, and as it is so intense you will burn more calories that you would during a more steady workout. This is a great way to lose weight quickly, but be careful if you are heavily overweight as it can also put pressure on your joints.

Indoor Cycling

Indoor cycling is a great way to burn fat while toning up muscle. If you want to add indoor cycling to your cardio routine, aim to do three 15 minute indoor cycling sessions per week. You can also boost the effects of the work out by pulling the pedals up behind you. Most of the time when people cycle they only push down with their quads, but if you clip your feet in you will also get the added advantage of having to pull the pedals up as well. This means that you will be burning more calories per minute, and your legs will also look more toned!

This is because the upward motion will help to target your hamstrings and glutes, so you will sculpt your body more as you work out. You can also choose to add more resistance if you are feeling particularly hard core; you can add resistance bands to your legs to make the work out even more effective, but it is worth noting that you shouldn’t do this during your first few work outs. This is because your legs will not be used to the routine yet, and as they are not strong yet you are more likely to accidentally injure yourself.

Dancing

Lots of people think that dancing can’t be a work out because it is so much fun, but in reality dancing is one of the best forms of cardio! There are also lots of different types of dance to choose from, including Zumba, salsa or pole dancing, so you should easily be able to find a dancing class that appeals to you. And if you don’t like the idea of taking a class, no problem; you can use YouTube videos so that you can work out at home.

Yoga Sculpt

Yoga is often seen as a good warm up or warm down for a work out, but you can also include yoga in your work out by trying the yoga sculpt. This is a type of yoga that is mostly focused on burning fat, boosting the metabolism and building muscle, but it is also very intense, so it is a great cardio work out! The work out includes both free weights and vinyasa flow to create a form of yoga cardio, which is perfect for anyone who already loves yoga.

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Many people dislike running because it can be repetitive and boring, but there are lots of cardio alternatives. Try out these suggestions to see if you can find the perfect cardio workout routine for you!

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