No matter whether one is a beginner or on an advanced fitness level, one of the lessons which people learn about cardio is that jumps are a must, especially, if you’re planning to lose weight. Well, there are no two ways that cardio helps wonders to tone up your body, but there are a number of non-jumping cardio exercises for people with joint stress.
Jumping is a high intensity activity and performing extreme of it can lead to joint pains. As a result one might find it exhausting to perform cardio on a regular basis. Therefore, we have rounded up a series of seven alternatives to jumping cardio workouts which will help you sail through your fitness journey without impacting your joints.
Seven non-jumping cardio exercises to lookout for
Boxer squat punches
Boxer squat punch is a non-jumping, full body cardio which is a different variation of bodyweight squat. This is one of the best cardio exercises and is perfect for warm up routine. It involves quick and energetic movements as a result it even increases the heart rate and blood flow in your body. If performed by average human for 10 minutes regularly, boxer squat punches can actually help in burning upto 100 calories.
Inchworm
Inchworm is again a full-body movement and can help you focus on stretching your body as well. It helps in strengthening muscles of your back and increases the blood circulation too. If you are planning to go for a high intensity workout post your cardio exercises, inchworm can be a great active start to warm you up.
Bridge pulse
Bridge pulse is performed using your glutes while rest of the body is on rest. This amazing non-jumping cardio workout boosts your flexibility, reduces knee and back aches, strengthens your core and even improves your body balance. Practicing bridges on a daily basis is the perfect exercise if you want a toned waist area. It helps in enhancing your mood and keeps stress and anxiety at a bay.
Mountain climber
Mountain climber is mostly considered a workout for strengthening lower body. However, this amazing form of exercise comes with multiple other benefits. It helps you improve your over all body movements, lowers the risk on injury and strengthens your heart. This cardio workout targets mainly your core muscles like back, hips, abs, glutes, legs and shoulders and makes them stronger.
Foot fires
This is one of simplest cardio workouts which does not require jumping and can go easy on your knees. Foot fires target your lower body parts like quads and calves and strengthens them. It even improves your heart rate while increasing the flow of blood in your body. Foot fires are recommended to be performed by the end of your workout session.
Prisoner get-ups
Prisoner get-ups aka prisoner squat is a cardio exercise that works on your glutes, quads and hamstrings. The term came from the arm positioning in the workout which is similar to that of prisoners. This exercise enables you to strengthen your core muscles including back and shoulders. Prisoner squat is a non-jumping cardio and therefore, goes easy on your joints. It is an ideal form of workout for advanced fitness level trainees.
Battling ropes
Battling ropes is a full-body cardio which is one of the best exercises to enhance your athletic performance. It works and strengthens your arms, shoulders and core muscles and is a lot of fun to perform. This workout is the go-to alternative to other cardio exercises. Battling ropes come with a number of variations and can be practiced in sitting position too.
High plank shoulder tap
This non-jumping cardio exercise is a complete core exercise which targets your upper body. It enhances your stability and strengthens your core, glutes, arms, and shoulders. This form of workout is a variation of simple planks which helps in improving your body posture, strengthens your midsection and reduces lower back aches.
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Apart from scrunched up paper with recycled aspirations, Sanyukta is also a writer. When not reading or scribbling, she loves playing copious amounts of video games and watch tons of films.
