Winter is here, and those temperatures are getting below freezing, especially in the morning and evening.  It’s not looking good for you getting that walk or jog in around your neighborhood. Too cold… looks like your skipping cardio today, right?  Wrong!  There are plenty of options to still get your cardiovascular workout in.   If you belong to gym, go there.  Own a Treadmill at home, get on it.   Those are the obvious solutions but here are a couple of alternative ways while staying in the comfort of your own home.

YouTube:  There are all kinds of Cardio Workouts on the internet and YouTube has a vast variety of free options.  Search for routines that are specific to your fitness and health levels.  Try to select those that are performed by certified trainers that describe how to do the movements safely.  You can also find retro routines like those from Denise Austin, Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda!  There are millions of videos so keep in mind that there will be unqualified phonies out there also.   Some reputable YouTube Channels to consider are Body Project and POPSUGAR Fitness.

Create your own Gauntlet:  Build your own routine that is made up of a bunch of cardio burning exercises.  Group them together and run through them like you would a resistance circuit.  You can do a timed or repetition-based program of exercises; the important thing is to keep it moving and minimize your rest in between exercises. Time yourself and see if you can beat it the next time out.  Always start with at least a 5-minute warmup and then mix-up it up to incorporate floor, standing and minimal impact movements.  Some fun stuff you could put in are: air squats, mountain climbers, heisman hops, plank up & downs, and those always popular burpees.  To receive a free customized gauntlet, you can go to: fitnesstogether.com/waxhaw/gauntlet.

Cardio is not just about jogging or biking.  It’s doing activities that will be creating stress on your cardiovascular system which elevates your heart rate and forces your body to work harder to pump oxygenated blood to your muscles and organs.  Ultimately this will increase your cardiovascular capacity, rev up metabolism and use your fat storages to supply the needed energy to perform your routine.