Apartment Friendly Cardio Workouts

Apartment Friendly Cardio Workouts Photo by cumiciki on flickr.com I live in Austin, a pretty fitness-obsessed city. Because of my own personal  schedule and lifestyle, I only have an hour a day for a dedicated work out, and  am definitely not willing to go to a gym for it. And since I live in Texas, where an  average day is 100 degrees, nothing wilts my motivation more than looking at the  sun and just wanting to give up. For those of you who aren’t willing to shell out upwards of $50 dollars a month to  go to a gym or who don’t like to exercise outside, working out at home is the only  other option. If you’re lucky, you live on the first floor and can jump and stomp  around as loudly as you please. But, if you’re like me and you live on the second  or even third floor of an apartment complex, cardio is pretty much forbidden. Everyone knows that you have to incorporate a mixture of strength and cardio  exercises not just to lose fat, but also to maintain general fitness. Here are some  cardio exercises that will get your heart pumping without making your neighbors  wonder if they’re living next to the Juggernaut from X-Men. Elbow push-ups Get into push up position. Bring your right elbow to the floor, then your left, so  that you’re holding yourself up with just your elbows and feet in plank. From that position,  push yourself up back into push up position by first placing your right hand  exactly where your right elbow was, and following with the left hand. That entire  cycle equals one elbow push-up. Stationary shadow boxing Get into a wide squat, keeping your back straight and chest strong. Alternate  punches, going as hard as you can in intervals. Allow yourself some rest time in  between. This is a great way to get your heart rate up while producing as little  noise as possible! Stationary Lunges To amp up the intensity, get into a deep lunge and pulse your body up and down.  Switch legs and repeat. Your thighs should be burning by the end! You can also  get into a deep lunge with the right leg forward. Your left leg should be stretched  back straight. Touch the knee of your left leg to the floor and then back into its  original position, trying to keep the rest of your body still. Switch legs and repeat.  This one’s also a killer on your glutes. Hoverjacks Get into plank position, hands right beneath your shoulders. Jump with your legs  in and out, the same way you would a jumping jack, only you’re holding yourself  in a plank with your arms. Mountain Climbers Get into plank position, hands right beneath your shoulders. Bring your left foot  forward as close to your chest as possible, keeping your right leg straight back.  Jump to switch leg positions so that your right foot is forward and your left leg is  straight back. To modify this move, simply step instead of jumping. Modified plyo moves If you absolutely have to jump in your workouts, try to land as softly as possibleâ€"this can actually increase the difficulty and intensity of your workout. Alternatively, try doing some exercises in short bursts. The Tabata method is  a great variation of a high intensity interval workout that only takes 4 minutes.  Pick an exercise that challenges you (boxing, push ups or half-cobra pushups,  crunches, lunges) and go as hard as you can for 20 seconds. Then allow yourself  10 seconds of rest, and repeat this seven times. Additionally, add weights to your  workouts to increase intensity and burn even more!