You don’t have to run long distances or make it to the gym to improve your cardiovascular ability. Here’s what you can do at home
If you’re finding yourself short of breath when you walk up the stairs, or feel winded as you try to complete your workouts, you might need to work on your stamina—the ability to exert yourself and remain active for a long period of time. Having improved endurance levels will also boost your ability to resist and withstand injury and fatigue better. “For improving your stamina, there are a host of simple exercises which can be done anywhere, like pushups, jumping jacks, squats and their variations,” says Mumbai-based fitness expert Harrison James of MFT Fitness.
Most of these exercises are cardiovascular exercises that pump oxygen in your body and improve your stamina over time. Improved oxygen supply to your muscles means that they become stronger against ageing-related wear and tear, and you also have a host of other benefits such as better skin, better metabolism, more muscles, and fat burning.
1) Squats
“Squats work so many muscle groups in your whole body and you can do many versions,” says James. Stand on the floor and keep your legs at a distance of shoulder-width apart. Go down very slowly, while going down you have to inhale. Keep your back straight and when you’re going down, your knees should not go beyond your toes, or you will injure your knee and back. “When you are squatting, believe that you are sitting on a chair. Make sure your tummy is in, your chest is out, you are looking in the front and your neck is neutral. When you go down, hold your breath, breathe out when you come up,” says James.
2) Pushups
“Pushups are great for endurance training. After doing 20 to 30 pushups, you will be winded. Your chest muscles are worked, your blood circulation improved, and your arms, back, legs and core are involved,” says James. For a simple pushup, lie down with your palms near our chest and lift up your body with pressure on your palms. Hold for a few seconds and repeat. “While doing a pushup, if you keep your legs straight, and bring your arms closer, they are called diamond push-ups, and these are mainly for your triceps, your inner chest and your shoulders. For people who can’t do it, do box push-ups on your knees instead. Make sure that you have a mat to support your knees. With push-ups, the type depends on what kind of muscle you want to target. A normal grip for triceps and chest, and a very closed grip for your triceps and inner chest,” says the expert.
3) Mountain climbers
Get in the pushup position, bring one leg forward followed by the other (the way you run or walk, one leg forward, one leg back). Form a straight alignment and hold your position for a few seconds. “Some people also like to touch the toes and go back, there are a lot of variations. Mountain climbers target most of your body’s muscles and gets your pulse racing,” says James.
4) Burpees
“Burpees make pushups more intense by adding a jump and is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health and stamina,” says James. Lower your hands to the floor in front from a squat position and kick your feet back so you’re on your hands and toes, moving to a pushup position. Do a pushup, and a frog kick by jumping your feet back to their starting position. Jump quickly into the air and come back where you started.
5) Jumping jacks
This is an intense cardio exercise which can be made more powerful by increasing repetitions. Bend your knees slightly, and jump into the air. Spread your legs about shoulder-width apart and stretch your arms out and over your head as you jump back to the starting position. Do as many repetitions as you can.
6) Climbing stairs
“Climbing stairs is a very powerful exercise. The amount of energy you burn in 10 minutes of running, you will feel the intensity on your body with just three minutes of climbing stairs,” says James. If your knees are up to the mark, this cardiovascular exercise will burn a significant amount of calories and improve the metabolism.
