7 Best Cardio Exercises For Weight Loss

The inchworm is a full-body exercise that improves flexibility, strength, and stamina. It targets your core, shoulders, and legs and provides an excellent cardio workout to get your heart pumping.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
2. Bend at your waist and place your palms on the ground. 
3. Keeping your legs straight, walk forward on your hands until you reach a high plank position. 
4. Once in the high plank, walk your hands back toward your feet and return to the starting position. 
5. To make it more challenging, add a push-up when you reach the high plank position. 
6. Repeat for best results.

This variation of mountain climbers adds a twist to engage your core and obliques more intensely, helping you burn more calories while improving flexibility.

1. Start in a high plank position, tightening your core. 
2. Bring your right knee toward your left elbow, then bring your left knee toward your right elbow. 
3. Continue alternating sides. 
4. If you’re unable to twist your knees as described, simply bring each knee straight toward your chest to make the exercise easier.

Plank jacks combine the benefits of a high plank and jumping jacks, giving your core a good workout while increasing your heart rate for fat-burning.

1. Start with a high plank position, keeping your core tight. 
2. Using your hands for support, jump to widen your feet apart, then jump back to return them to the original position. 
3. Ensure your hips remain level throughout the exercise. 
4. Continue this movement for a set period to achieve the best results.

This move targets the core, shoulders, and arms while challenging your balance and coordination. It’s an excellent exercise for building strength and endurance.

1. Start in a high plank position, engaging your core. 
2. Pull your hips back slightly and tap your right shin with your left hand, then tap your left shin with your right hand. 
3. If you’re more flexible, try tapping your ankles instead. 
4. Alternate sides, tapping with one hand first. 
5. Maintain good form throughout the exercise and move as quickly as possible for the best results.

Skaters are an awesome cardio workout for your lower body. It allows you to strengthen your legs as you try to achieve agility, coordination, and balance. The exercise also pumps up your heart rate to increase fat burn in your workout.

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent. 
2. Jump to your right side, landing on your right foot, and quickly bring your left foot behind your right leg. 
3. When landing, avoid putting all your weight on your right foot. 
4. Immediately jump to the left side with your left leg, bringing your right foot behind your left leg. 
5. Continue alternating sides and performing the exercise as quickly as possible for best results.

(Source: Ben Greenfield Fitness)

Corkscrew targets the core and obliques, offering an excellent cardio exercise. This exercise is great for rotational strength and endurance improvement.

1. Start in a high plank position, engaging your core. 
2. Shift your weight onto your right hand, then raise your left hand toward the ceiling, rotating your torso to the left as you kick your right leg into the air toward the right. 
3. Quickly switch to the other side and repeat the movement, alternating sides.

This challenging exercise combines hopping with push-ups to elevate your heart rate, strengthen your upper body, and improve core stability, all while burning fat.

1. Stand on your right foot, engaging your core, with your left leg lifted in the air. 
2. Hop three times on your right foot, then quickly bend forward and perform an inchworm with your right leg. 
3. Once in the high plank position, with your right leg still on the ground and your left leg in the air, do three push-ups. 
4. Afterward, walk your hands backward to return to the starting position. 
5. Do this on one side, then switch to the other to complete the exercise.

Also, Read: Strength Training vs. Cardio: Finding the Perfect Balance

Conclusion

These seven cardio exercises will help you target fat loss, build strength, and improve overall fitness. These exercises are quick, effective, and versatile, meaning you can do them at home without needing a gym membership or expensive equipment.

These are easy movements that you can adapt according to your level of fitness and get the most effective results to meet your weight loss target. Practice them as often as possible for consistent and desirable results.

• Nov 2016
  Written by Prajakt
• Feb 2025
  Edited by Lakshmi Gayatri