Is it us or does cardio always seem to be at the centre of fitness debates? Some love it, some hate it, but at the end of the day, it's a must for every workout plan [1]. If you're not into running, Spinning, or using any of the other cardio machines at the gym, it's all good. According to Brandon McDaniel, MS, RSSC, LA Dodger's director of athletic development and performance science, you don't have to do traditional cardio like running to improve your cardiovascular endurance.
"When it comes to overall health and strength and function and living a normal life, I would much rather get that cardio out of something from a strength training standpoint; that would be owning bodyweight more than it would be having somebody go for a long run," Brandon told POPSUGAR. He prefers bodyweight exercises over long runs because "you can do them from a corrective exercise standpoint, where you do them slow and try to get something out of them from a therapeutic standpoint."
Brandon also said, "You can do them long and grinding and create a lot of force and do it from more of a strength standpoint." The other benefit of bodyweight exercises is that "You can do them fast and try to get your heart rate up and get a cardiovascular moment out of them," he continued. Here's a list of bodyweight cardio exercises [3] we like to get our heart rate up.
Brandon isn't advocating for you to cut running out for good. Instead, he recommended adding bodyweight exercises to your workout routine for injury prevention and recovery, and to develop total-body strength and stability. There are a bunch of moves you can do that will help you get stronger, and Brandon shared a few of his favourite bodyweight exercises. Check them out ahead.
Elevated Split Squat
"I really like rear-foot elevated split squats because you get a great hip flexor stretch, you get great stability out of your hip, and you activate your glutes, which helps with back pain and leg pain." He highly recommended this move for people who sit a lot.
- Begin by placing the top of your right foot on the bench, with your left leg straight. Bend your left knee, engage your right glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground. You want your left foot out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle.
- Straighten your left leg and rise back up to the starting position.
TRX Mid-Row
"Being able to own a TRX row shows that you have good hip extension, good core stability, good scapular stability, [and] you know how to get internal and external rotation out of your shoulders," Brandon said.
- Before getting started, make sure the TRX suspension trainer is secured to an anchor point (a fixed object that won't move and can support you weight). The straps should be at mid-length.
- Grab the handles with each hand and walk your feet out, approximately two feet away from your body. Your arms should be extended in front of you and your body should be in a straight line. The further you walk your feet in front of you, the more challenging the exercise will become.
- Engage your core and make sure your spine is in a neutral position. Avoid rounding your shoulders and arching your lumbar spine.
- With your palms facing in and your ribs by your, side pull your elbows back. Keep your core engaged and tension on the straps as you return to the starting position with control. This counts as one rep.
Lying Hamstring Curl
"People don't know how to use their butt to raise their hips off the floor. They try to use their low back. Once you learn how to do that movement right, and your glutes give you hip extension and your hamstrings give you knee flexion, you're much better off. Your back is in a much better space."
- Start by lying flat on your back with an exercise ball under your heels. Bridge your hips up with knees slightly bent, and hold that position through the entire exercise. A slight bend in the knee allows you to focus the work more in the glutes while also protecting the knee joints.
- Flex your feet, and dig your heels into the ball. Place your arms straight out to your side for support — don't use them, though; they are just for support.
- Slowly roll the ball toward your body as you curl your heels. Keep your hips in the bridge position; don't thrust them toward the ceiling as you do the move.
- Then slowly return to the start position to complete one rep.