10 Cardio Exercises

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60 million adults in the United States have been classified as obese. And according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, only 35 percent of Americans participate in moderate or vigorous exercise five more more times a week. If you're trying to lose weight, cardio exercises can be your best friend. There are an array of cardio exercises to choose from that will allow you to lose weight while enjoying yourself at the same time.

  1. Swimming

    • Swimming is one of the best cardio exercises that you can do to lose weight because it puts little stress on the body. This makes swimming an excellent sport for anyone who has joint problems. Swimming also incorporates every muscle in the body, which allows individuals to burn more calories while exercising.

    Walking

    • If you haven't exercised in a long time, then walking might be the perfect exercise for you. Walking does not burn as many calories as other cardio exercises, but you'll still get a great workout if you walk for extended periods of time. You might want to consider going for a walk at your local park for at least 1 hour per day. You might even want to take your dog for a walk if you have one. One hour of walking burns 216 calories if you weigh 190 pounds.

    Hiking

    • Hiking is a great cardio exercise for anyone who's looking to take a step up from walking. Hiking requires walking up steep hills and will generally provide a more intense workout than walking does. National parks are a great place to hike because of their beautiful scenery. Many national parks also have specific trails that are designed for hiking.

    Jogging

    • According to The Journal of Nutrition, elevating your heart rate can result in the loss of body fat. If you can handle the stress that it puts on your body, running is a great cardio exercise. The great part about jogging is that you can do it in your local neighborhood.

    Biking

    • Like swimming, biking is another great alternative to jogging. Biking still puts a little bit of stress on the body, but not nearly as much as jogging does. You could try your hand at mountain biking if you're adventurous.

    Kayaking

    • If you like being on the water than kayaking might be the perfect cardio exercise for you. Kayaking also provides a superb upper-body workout. Kayaking is a good cardio exercise because it requires large amounts of upper-body strength.

    Jump Rope

    • Jumping rope might not be one of the most exciting cardio exercises, but an hour of slow jump roping burns between 472 and 690 calories, depending on your weight.

    Tennis

    • If you have any experience with tennis, you might want to try getting together with a group of friends to play a game or two to lose weight. Tennis is a great cardio exercise because it requires rapid movement and elevates the heart rate significantly.

    Basketball

    • Shooting hoops is a great way to have fun while losing weight and trying to get a healthy heart. You might want to try a recreational basketball league in your area that you can play with. Basketball is a good exercise because it requires constant motion and will also give your legs a great workout because of the jumping that's required.

    Table Tennis

    • Table tennis may not seem like the best weight loss exercise at first glance, but it can burn between 236 and 345 calories an hour, depending on your weight.