For years, cardio workouts were seen as a long, hard slog. It meant dutifully stepping onto a treadmill and jogging for hours on end to improve performance and lose weight.
Luckily, we now know this isn't the case. Lacing up a set of the best cross training shoes for multi-exercise support, we can blast fat and make fitness gains with short, intense workouts.
At just 10 minutes, this YouTube exercise routine from Nienke Fitness is designed to get your heart rate up and keep it there for the duration. You'll squeeze in 18 moves, performing most for 30 seconds.
It's an intense workout, fitting in a lot of body-weight and cardio moves into a short routine. It's a style of training that sounds similar to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), but with one crucial difference.
Watch Nienke Fitness' 10-minute cardio workout
In HIIT routines, there's typically 30-40 seconds of movement followed by a brief rest. However, this YouTube workout doesn't give you any downtime between moves.
This makes it more like an AMRAP workout, where the focus is on achieving As Many Reps As Possible in the time. Most exercise programs, especially strength-based routines, list a reps target.
While some people prefer this style of training, AMRAP workouts focus on endurance and calorie burning. They are also suitable for all fitness levels, as you might start on lower reps and build up over time.
As a result, it can be quite a motivating exercise style, allowing you to track performance improvements over time easily. The more you train, the more adept you'll get at the move, leading to higher reps.
Cardio exercise can be a great way to drop inches, but it's essential to have a varied workout plan to torch fat sustainably. The best exercises for weight loss mix cardio and strength moves to get results.
You don't need equipment for many of the exercises, though there are a few resistance-based moves too. For a space-saving, versatile option, consider some of the best adjustable dumbbells.
As you can select a load that's right for your workout, it's possible to increase the weight over time to account for muscle development. Plus, it means you don't need a large dumbbell rack taking up space at home.
